Red Heavens Beneath Me
by CherLnIDA
Summary: Zimalyon was once a War God in the times of old when Irken's were still young and relying on space gods to grant them power; Zimalyon is within Zim to prove if they are worth his loyalty but the stories told by diviners is unraveling and the sky shall split once more, to forsaken the Irken Empire. (ZADR/PRAZR (one sided) /TAGR) (AU)
1. Prologue

Red Heavens Beneath Me

By Cherilyn Ohlau

ZADR/PRAZR/TAGR

Invader Zim (2001-2006) is owned by Jhonen Vasquez and Nickelodeon

Graphic and disturbing content; sexual content; this is an AU

"This is the thing that troubles me, for I cannot forget Carcosa where black stars hang in the heavens; where the shadows of men's thoughts lengthen in the afternoon, when the twin suns sink into the lake of Hali; and my mind will bear for ever the memory of the Pallid Mask. I pray God will curse the writer, as the writer has cursed the world with its beautiful stupendous creation, terrible in its simplicity, irresistible in its truth-a world which now trembles before the King In Yellow."

― Robert W Chambers, The King in Yellow and Other Horror Stories

Erase me

Kill me

Kill me

Kill me

Kill me

Nine Inch Nails (Eraser: Denial; Realization)

Prologue

_The Sky Eye, The Prophet, The Vessel, The Kin, The Shell, The Kingdom...these are the terms used to describe Irken divinities of using cards to tell fortune when Irkens were merely still a small huddle of new species off in a distant planet. My people used these cards as one uses tarot, Irken fortune telling shares similarities but the difference is thin as a fine sewing needle; but, the fool and the end are present. _

_So too does our devil give a path to rebirth when the tower shall plunge into the depths. It will burn Irk to its bones, O Tallest, it will burn Irk to its bones unless the fool wakes up from his dormant slumber. _

_Our people should have never should have taken that Irken child under its wing. It has released the war path...but, let it be known the fool Zimalyon and Zim are one and the same. _

_Torticus III, Irken Diviner, Year of Cikta (Tallest Cikta and Tallest Kaine)_

**We do not allow our Irken brethren torturing our holy star child…**

**Zimalyon was your war steed,**

**but one cannot force a horse to water, and you cannot force a war horse drink from muddled waters.**

**Zimalyon is not your mule,**

**we are not ones to turn the other cheek at such insolence, **

**pray that our coming will be swift, I promise it won't be painless…**

Zim felt sick in the week, he wasn't able to keep up with his studies in Magnet High School, much to Dib's surprise as did the other classmates; he was still known for his hourly bathroom breaks and piss poor excuses for leaving the classroom, but Zim was never actually sick, if he did suffer any he'd take medicine and be absent but Zim's condition was interfering with his motor functions and at times, when he tripped, he was unable to stand up.

Dib reluctantly volunteered to look after Zim, but he doubted with Zim so far off in his illness that he'd have a hard time meeting deadlines for any homework. Dib checked Zim's condition on the bed in the lab, he was hardly pale and was able to eat spoons without aid sometimes, but he did run a fever and was having cold symptoms. Zim at this point was too exhausted to argue that his nemesis was helping him. He just wanted to feel better and not feel as though he was vomiting or coughing the past hour.

"Dib, it's Saturday, go out…" Zim coughed.

Dib rolled my eyes, shaking his head, "I'm your nurse right now."

"Well I certainly didn't ask for you."

"Stop complaining, _I _volunteered," Dib pointed out, "Who's going to look after you in this state? You got three robots and computer. It's hopeless like that...I haven't been taking photos either, not fair to take advantage of a sick opponent; maybe when I was back to being twelve I would have gladly jumped at the idea. So...I'm not leaving."

Zim scoffed, turning over on his bed, "It's just some stupid cold virus! It should be gone in a week!"

"You've...kinda been here longer than that. It's August."

Zim looked over, speechless, "An entire month?!"

Dib looked perplexed and concerned, "Are you sick with some sort of alien flu?"

"How am I supposed to know? I had earth sicknesses before but...nothing like this," Zim sighed, "I'm sure it's nothing. You've always been a worry wart…" he noticed Dib's insulted expression, "Maybe if you just-"

"No, Zim, I'm not leaving," Dib said firmly, "But I will go out and get some food and medicine. Can you at least do me favor, you know, eat your veggies?"

"No. You know how peas are to me?"

"Urgh...fine, I'll get vitamins instead," Dib picked up his bag and made sure he was warm before leaving up the elevator. Zim slumped over, clutching his head. He hoped it was just a migraine; his head feeling like it was going to split open. Even though Dib advised him to stay in bed, Zim felt restless. He felt antsy and couldn't sleep at all. He got out of bed, wobbling against the floor as his vision distorted like a fish lens, it stretched and widened as a funhouse mirror while his feet trudged against a path he subconsciously followed...the transmission room.

Zim was on autopilot, he tried to question his movements, did his best to fight back and have control again but his brain was a fly to the spiders web; something underneath his skin purposely punched in the contact numbers of the Massive.

Please…

Please let me move…

I can't feel my legs, or my fingers!

Why can't I move? Let Zim move! Please! _PLEASE! _

"What? Zim's contacting us?" Purple yelled, "But we're in the middle of heading to a meeting...the control brains have gone haywire! Can't you just put the pipsqueak on hold, and he can contact us later?" The navigation drone, Toka, looked extremely apologetic. He expected his leaders to react this way, most of Zim's transmission were either left on the back burner, treated as jokes, or were met with blase indifference; this case was different and even made the navigation team worried.

"Er, we can't put him on hold…" Toka replied hesitantly.

"Why not?!" Purple snapped.

"The hold buttons are stuck."

"All of them?! Seriously?" Purple huffed, "Mute his number!"

"That's just the problem, my Tallest. The boards are malfunctioning after we received this call. There's no possible way to cut his transmission without an emergency reset, and we're not on a planet surface."

Purple sighed and looked at Red, "What do you think it is? A virus?" he asked. Red looked to be in deep thought, trying to take in the situation. "It's gotta be a Vort virus or some sort of powerful bug!" Purple added. Red held his head.

"The Massive went through a major security overhaul after Zim's virtual hijacking; there is absolutely no way Zim can puncture our computer system, no less make all the boards break," Red explained, "Okay, let's just take his call and-" the lights on the ship flickered and blew out like candles. A navigator pulled down the emergency backup power level only to be met with a mechanical groan.

"Powers out, and backup is on lock!"

Red shivered. The only thing working was the transmission monitor and the accept button blinking despite their being no power. What was powering them like this? Red didn't want to know the answer. He glided over and tapped the enter button. The darkness from the lights faded into a red hue, as Zim's figure was on screen; he carried an eerie demeanor on his body language. Zim's head tilted slightly with a scowl on his face as if he could see through them, it felt like a child tired of its toy, or a cat that had grown tired of seeing a glass cup on its sitting place; an expression cloaked in boredom, disinterest, and _loathing._

"_M'kal morta'l zekeen warsho'n…"_

"What language is that?" Purple asked.

"Irksa, ancient Irken. I thought that language was dead…" Red replied.

"How does _Zim_ know old Irken? We're the same age-"

"That's not Zim."

Zim chuckled, a smug and calculative grin on his face. Zim looked at them, but focused on Red and Purple, with the monitor as big as it was they felt incredibly small only because he gave a sensation of ready to crush them in his claws if it wasn't for the screen and distance. "_Ahh, I forget...you are the newer generation...I'm sorry for this sudden call on my part; I'm merely borrowing our little ones body, if only briefly. I would have contacted you myself...but you're not on a surface, and let's face it. This is the only way I can get your attention…" _Zim said his voice sounded deep and feminine, yet it was echoing at different frequencies, multiple people talking in sync at the same time in a crowded room like echo.

Red glared, "State who you are and explain why you're contacting us."

"_My name? You wish to know my name? Your simplistic Irken tongues wrapped in fats and sugar wouldn't know how to say a name like mine. Sure, we are connected but we came first, from the universe's first lungs, we see the horizons spine and the beating star. You are children compared to me; but I will give you a name what your forgotten father's and mother's have called me before you were reduced to worms...Ryda."_

"That's...oh, that's old mother," Purple said tapping his chin, "Ryda means old mother, like a grandma?"

"_Perhaps...as a rough translation but I am not here to give lectures. I've seen enough from your end, even after I gave my warning...but I cannot blame you. I have been sleeping, waiting, and have seen the child I gave, was not worth it. My Tallest, I have altered memories for as long as I can remember...are you aware of Zim's chaotic nature?" _Zim sighed, "_We placed too much of Zimalyon's data, or rather, himself. Our powers do not correlate well with cheap technology."_

"Zima…?" Red looked to Purple as he shook his head.

Zim glared, _"The War Steed, the God laced in bloodshed in a red veil and blood soaked armor. He who causes stars to die, yet is petty and foolish but a rotten old God who only wants to see your worthiness." _

Red's claws traced on a power plug.

_"I will make sure, the War God splits the sky and devours you." _

Red yanked the plug and the monitor shut off. He slumped to the ground, his body shaking underneath his armor. Purple tried to comfort him, only for the Tallest to push him away in fear

"Purple...I remember now. I remember learning about Zimalyon!" Red strained.

**The skies do not belong to you,**

**They belong to me, your armada is miniscule…**

**Zimalyon was born from the brightest star and ate the selfishness of beings wrapped in gold…**

**You may think the crown belongs in your hands, but you, you have no need for it.**

**My son, my star, the three headed black lamb of the darkest sea…**

**Do you remember the milk I had used to feed you.**

**You will grow again. Take my crown. It's yours.**

Zim could barely feel his conscious, once he felt control again, his head was aching but that was the least of his problems. "_Master, an unknown source override your program inside your PAK. The data is of unknown origin and likely a virus, however, scans show it to be a slither of a percentage of it being a PAK virus; new data and programs have been released. It seems this new data had been locked in since birth. This data is not coded to your PAK." _Zim wanted to bark at his computer AI for letting it's report be so long; being knee deep in denial in thinking it was just garbage data like all PAKs had carried just a little in the interface, it did nothing to ease the anxiety that the problem wasn't inside the hardware. Zim slowly stood up.

"Where's the extra data?"

Zim heard the whirr of machinery as another monitor was presented hovering in front of him. "Prior Brain Patterns" and "Current Brain Patterns" were in Irken with a pattern reading of Zim's brain like an X-ray, prior had globs of blue, purple and red, a typical Irken brain function but the current looked to be giving ripples and little bursts of yellow. Zim didn't understand as much as he should, experimenting and tampering with brains was the usual routine but trying to think of this from a medical standpoint...gah, this just wasn't his field.

"The data is inside my head?" Zim said perplexed, "Memories?"

It was a long shot but Zim contacted Prisoner 777 after. It was a long stretch but he needed something to grasp or understand, the Vortian's were passed allies who helped make Irken technology; Zim figured 777 would know something in his species history to explain this anomaly. 777 was startled to hear Zim so frantic, and it wasn't out of rage or being demanding; the fearful tone that made Zim's voice crack made the Vortian step back a little.

"Whoa, now, now Zim...don't get an aneurysm on me...I'm just your hostage," 777 did his best to calm the Irken.

"Your people helped make our technology, even long ago, do you know anything about this?"

"The correlation between the PAK and brain? Well, that's pretty complex on its own since Vortian's don't rely on PAKs ourselves, but we are surprised Irken's never questioned about never wondered about which brain you use more, your PAK or your actual muscle," 777 explained, plainly.

"So you're saying its from my actual brain…"

"That's a strong possibility if it's a read over and not into the actual code. You said your computer diagnosed this after your black out?"

Zim trembled a bit, "Uh, black out and _paralysis. _I couldn't move myself, I was moving, but...it wasn't me! When I came to…" 777 looked even more worried even though Zim and himself were just business clients, nothing more than Zim asking for codes and blueprints, he didn't like this.

"Zim...go to Irk, or find a Vort who can help. You obviously need medical help. Did you read your brain patterns?" 777 asked. Zim nodded.

"It looked weird," Zim answered.

"Was it pulsing red?"

"No, some sort of ripples and little yellow blobs."

"That's not the typical reaction to a possible parasite. Well, I still suggest getting medical help, or at least find another Vortian older than myself, but it's gonna be hard since you know…" 777 sighed a bit, sounding aggravated. Zim reluctantly thanked the prisoner before saying goodbye, only for another call to come in from the Massive. Red and Purple came on screen, looking as if they were ready to start an argument but realized Zim was back to normal and released the biggest exhale of relief Zim had heard from his leaders. Zim looked even more confused.

"Oh...oh good...so you're not possessed by weirdo lady...anymore, you're still stupid, right?" Purple breathed.

"Possession?!" Zim exclaimed, "My Tallest, you're using terms only the Dib worm would babble about. We are a scientific advancing species; earth has ghosts...or at least that's what Dib says. So we're perfectly safe."

Red looked down, biting his lip, "This information wasn't included in our PAKs, I had to contact the Preservation Archives to look into this myself once power was back online. It's, uh, pretty...err…"

"Well, I definitely feel smarter but I also want to run and use the bathroom after learning _that,_ " Purple said bluntly.

"Then go pee if you're so frightened," Red barked.

"You mean I get to leave the conversation?! Awesome!"

"It's a bathroom break, not a vacation, Pur-he left," Red sighed, "Doesn't matter. We still need to discuss this before Irk was Irk, it just a meager planet of very little resources and back then older Irken's before us were still in clans and were very superstitious. We...used to worship these giant gods from the space above, and rites and pilgrimages at night. So, before Irken's could get their feet off the ground, we heavily relied on deities, a little _too _much."

"What does all this have to do with my black out?!"

"I-I'm getting there...Irken hierarchical societies had oracles, or haruspex, um, fortune tellers and prophets, putting it bluntly," Red explained, "Before we established the Tallest ranks, we worshipped sky giants in a way."

"Sky giants? You mean like what the humans call gods and deities?"

"This probably predates far longer than those humans, no less their planet, they might also be older than Irk or the universe itself...oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself. _They _came to us when the sky split many, many years ago, they brought us a lot of things to our people including knowledge; during the Fuktanger Wars...scriptures say Zimalyon came on a four headed steed that had scales and breathed fire. He made Irk burn for ninety days and impaled the surface of the planet...he was a very scary war God."

Zim slowly caught on but he let out a small laugh, "So Zim has carried the name of an old God, it's flattering but doesn't explain anything."

Red sighed. He too noticed things just didn't add up. "Zim, you sure nothing else happened after your contact with us?"

"My brain has abnormal readings, I was suggested to seek medical."

Red paused, "That's for the best. Oh, but Zim, before you hang up...does the name Ryda mean anything to you?" he asked. Zim shook his head, "A-all right...just checking…" the monitor cut off the transmission. Zim went back to his bedside just as Dib walked in, what happened before he came, Zim didn't tell; he felt dragging Dib into this would worsen matters as this felt his an Irken centered issue. Dib was relieved to see Zim's flu had lightened after a week of medicine and drinking soup, Zim however did not share his enthusiasm. He still made calls to an Irken doctor who lived not far from where the galaxy earth was drifting in. He might've told Dib he was better, but it was a bold faced lie, his brain patterns and headaches were still there. Humans can only read what's on the surface.

The Control Brains on Judgementia looked like boiling pickled jars by the time the Tallest reached there, each courtroom had water leaking out or, the boards containing their life circuits were sparking with black smoke swelling from overloaded chords. It looked like something had caused them a great deal of shock as their muscles tried to move, they moved slightly like invertebrates as their brain tissues tried to grow limbs, only to deflate like a balloon, and their once metallic stoic voices were nothing but distorted screaming; nails on the chalkboard couldn't compare to a Control Brain who had found the urge to cry and howl. How could a muscle as large and unfeeling could scream without vocal chords? They screamed mentally, and it echoed through the system. They wanted to flee from something, but Red and Purple couldn't sense it.

"This isn't normal behavior…" Purple said in concern.

"Thanks for stating the obvious," Red replied sarcastically.

An Irken Maintenance Worker jogged over to the Tallest and saluted, "Sirs, my men, I, and Vortian engineers are looking into the problem right now, and we're pumping sedatives into their tanks to help calm the Brains down while we tend to cracks on the bowls and fix the boards." Red looked around, trying to figure out the source that had made the Control Brains so hysterical and unstable that they would rather die than stay in their tanks. Purple was thinking the same thing, and looked at the worker.

"So...what made them go insane?" Purple asked.

"Hell if I know," the worker shrugged, "I just maintain them and make sure they don't explode from the inside, _but _we did find something strange within their interface, someone hacked into all of their computers and implanted an ASCII code into the Brains."

"Red, what's an ASCII?"

"It's a type of coding, text inside computers, communication devices and all that," Red explained to Purple, "Since the Control Brains are part of a large computer system, somehow someone hacked into them without triggering the alarm, put the coding in, and that maybe messed them up...I think."

"Well, code is just code," the worker said, "At least this was just partially the cause, but it's not a virus or anything; something just scared them."

"Well what else did you find?"

"Barrier feed indicate a piercing low frequency was detected. It was somewhere between an earthquake and a military radio frequency."

"That low, huh?" Red sighed, "Did you trace it?"

"Tried to, I tell ya, I thought it was some sort of ghost ship or an old malfunctioning satellite or probe...but the weird thing is, the tracing just pointed everywhere. I checked the machine myself, it works fine, but there are multiple dots clogging up the screen. It wasn't from a planet, it kept pinning the sky."

_I will make sure the War God splits the sky and devours you…_

Red slumped to the floor, breathing heavily, feeling his body trembling and shivering as the pieces were presented before him, coming to realize Ryda was much bigger than he was, she wasn't just someone who had the power to take over Zim's body, and realizing that she was truly real broke him. Red slowly began to chuckle, before bursting into laughter that was so forced and painful that Purple could do so little to calm him.

Ryda wasn't on a planet, she was within space itself, the tallest one could ever reach in those black sea heavens of crystals and flames.

Red was aware she was a deity but not an actual one, what broke the brains had broken him as well.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Zim hated hospitals, even though he was a soldier and was used to seeing doctors and nurse drones look after the Irken Elites, he didn't like the eerie calm, the screaming and cries in a distant room, nor was the stench of plastic and soap did little to calm his nerves. Zim was put in a blue nurse gown with a symbol of his home planet on it, before swallowing medicine that helped make his brain scanning more clear before laying down on the machine's bed before he was slid in. Zim heard the melody of keyboard typing and machine beeps, and the PA droning in an alien language. The Vortian doctor looked confused from the corner of his eye during the scanning process. He was going through a book of scan reports and trying to pin on which symptoms were the closest. Zim was getting agitated of just laying there, "When can Zim get out of this radioactive oven?!" he snapped.

"Zim stays in the oven for another minute."

"I don't want to. My head hurts," Zim huffed. The doctor soon pulled him out and helped him up, Zim glared at the doctor while rubbing his head as his antennae twitched in irritation after going through the scan, "_Oww…" _Zim hissed.

"I'm sorry to say this Zim, but the symptoms are inconclusive. The "ripples" as you call them usually indicate an implant or prosthetic lodged in the brain and the yellow blobs...or bursts of yellow just mean information is being transferred through. We looked through your brain digitally and found nothing artificial."

"So...something's in my brain but it's not artificial?"

"Usually this pattern means something like a chip, but they're giving internal frequencies around the brain and not a specific area like someone lost most of their brains in battle or an accident."

Zim sighed, not even a medical professional could help figure it out what was wrong with him. This was getting frustrating and only opened more questions than answers. Zim started to change out of his hospital gown and into his uniform, the doctor looked surprised.

"Zim, you must stay so we can monitor you."

"I don't like hospitals," Zim retorted, "I have a mission to do as well...I can't just stay in this place."

"What if your condition worsens?! You'll need-"

"I got this planet's number in my monitor I can call for an emergency ship when I want, now just let me go!" Zim left before the doctor could protest further and left to his ship docked not far from the hospital building. It was just loosened information, Zim told himself, sure new data was found and his brain patterns were an odd case but...his mission came first. These internal frequencies swirling in his brain were just a side effect of his black out.

_How long are you going to deny yourself?_

Zim clutched his head while he held the wheel, feeling the urge to vomit, but held his mouth causing himself to hack and cough.

Dib came to visit after school since Zim was absent again, he expected the usual "get out of my base!", only to see Zim slumping over the arm of the couch in exhaustion. Dib wondered if Zim had gotten sick again and checked his forehead for a fever. Zim let out an irritated groan, "I'm fine...just had a hospital visit…" he breathed, "The drive home was...awful." Dib felt like throwing his trench coat in frustration. They weren't _that _close but Dib hated the thought of leaving Zim alone in this condition.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It has nothing to do with you. This isn't something a human would understand!" Zim snarled, Dib flinched at his tone like a kicked dog, "Just leave it be…"

Dib looked at Gir who was oddly quiet, he looked glum but it was hard to tell if it was over his master, the couch being taken over again by a worn out Zim, or perhaps it was the heavy tense air that growing toxic as Dib stood. Dib closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming his nerves before speaking. "What did the doctor say?" Dib asked. Zim at first didn't reply, a frown on his face and his antennae twitching indicating he was thinking. Dib gave a sigh, concluding that Zim was ignoring him. He was about to turn and leave but the Irken spoke before Dib could touch the door knob.

"It was inconclusive, and my brain seems to have new information being transferred with no source."

Dib's shoulders sagged and he looked over at Zim, "It's not from your PAK?"

"It probably _did _come from my PAK and transferred to my brain, but I don't know what's happening with this new information. I don't feel any different other than having vomit spells."

"Do you know which part of the brain it's coming from-"

Zim threw him a pamphlet of paper from his doctor that was five sheets long and stapled together. Dib looked it over, skimming the contents before fell silent again, clutching his head. Dib looked over the first page, detailing Zim's examination before the doctor could see him, blood pressure and heart rate were normal, they put down Zim's height and weight and what alien species he was coupled with my Irken symbol, then lower half document…

PAK ENRGY: Normal

PAK INTRFACE: Abnormal

PAK DATA: Abnormal (Code E: Monitor Condition)

PAK TO BRAIN frequency: Alarming (Code E: Monitor Condition)

**Doctors Notes (apply here by Dr only): **Irk Zim's brain activities are highly abnormal from both a medical and psychological standpoint, the "ripples" are coming from the Amygdala (partially inflammatory) and Prefrontal Cortex (partially inflammatory); notice: yellow anomaly seems to have originated from Irk Zim's Cerebellum and infecting both the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.

Teleport (in case patient has left prior to receive): Yes

Dib was almost speechless, so Zim just got up and left after learning this. It was stupid to ask why Zim left instead of being monitored when his condition was questionable, his pride was so bloated, he didn't care so much about being sick if it only effected him from inside; but Zim was having the occasional need to vomit. Zim saw this as nothing, a sickness which would disappear on its own. "You should have stayed there, they might not understand what's going on, but they're trying to help," Dib said.

"My mission comes first!" Zim snapped, "It's just a little extra data...it won't kill me…"

Dib looked livid, "You told me you had vomiting spells."

"Then I'll take some earthy nausea medicine to curve it!"

Dib looked ready to argue till the base started shaking, items on the mantle fell over and the ground started to move. Dib rushed over to the window, soon realizing it wasn't only Zim's base being shook from an unknown earthquake but the entire neighborhoods and city. Zim got up and rushed to the window looking on in amazement as the ground continued to rumble, threatening to split the asphalt. Then a sound came from the sky, Dib thought it was a horn but to Zim it sounded like metal teeth grinding inside of a rusty machine.

Zim could hear the grinds and cranks of the insides of a large ship, and the clouds moved aside making a sphere shape in the sky, yet it's shape wasn't clear or outlined like it was camouflaged yet it was another layer, underneath a sheet of reality. Zim could only tell something was in front of his base because of its shadow on the cul-de-sac asphalt. Dib wasn't easy to cower, but he fell backwards once he realized its size. Zim could only glare, he subconsciously felt a new birth in himself, he recognized this abomination that refuses to be seen by mortal eyes.

"_Zimalyon, it is I, the great messenger, Xaxul...you must stop playing with these cattle on this planet. We have work to bring the Irken regime to the pure lands. They have proved they are unable to harness your glory and flames. The pact has been undone. You are implored to bring your fires, and make the galaxies boil." _

Zim slammed his fist, "I refuse!"

"_This is an order, not a request you can not decline." _

"I'm not going!"

_"Petulant, annoying child…_"

Zim's eyes widened as the area began to glow a fierce luminous red. He closed his eyes and tried to make Dib follow suit, but Dib was a deer in headlights. The human was looking on in fear, yet his body could barely move. Zim yelled at Dib to get down and not look but a burst of bright light became a wave as if a bomb had gone off. Dib couldn't close his eyes in time once he regained the urge to move. Dib fell over, curling up in a fetal position, throwing aside his glasses as he covered his eyes from the hot searing pain that went straight to his brain to his feet as if he was struck by lightning. "My _eyes! _My fucking eyes hurt!" Dib shouted so loudly that Zim was alarmed. If it were any other situation, Zim would have joked about closing his eyes while turning on a flashlight in his face, but now Zim was over Dib wanting to see the damage.

"Can you open your eyes for me?" Zim asked.

"I…I can't...what if they're really gross or something?" Dib griped.

"Zim will pour water on them if you don't open your eyes!"

Dib sighed and slowly opened them, Zim let out a sigh of relief as his eyes looked normal, the same yellow like hazel but there was damage. Zim noticed Dib's left eye pupil looked like a chunk had been blown. The round pupil was more of a messy crescent, like a sting ray's eye, Zim couldn't help but wince; this was not something that would heal.

"You're...fine," Zim answered.

"You're lying…" Dib wheezed.

Xaxul's form moved closer, it's shadow enveloping Zim's base like a gigantic balloon. The lawn gnomes aimed and fired lasers but their lasers just bounced off the roof pathetically. Zim could only pull Dib and Gir close to the elevator as the roof shuddered. "Don't say a word…" Zim whispered, the elevator bringing them down to the lab; unseen tendrils snaked around the earth and soil, binding the lawn gnomes like toys and crushing them till they shattered, the roof was nibbled from a squid like maw that savaged Zim's satellite plate and the sidewalk split and broken. Xaxul let out a shriek that echoed like a siren through a fan before it faded into the sky, into a window not seen. "What...was that thing?" Dib asked but Zim shook his head, feeling at a loss; whatever Xaxul was carried a sense of familiarity but he never fully understood it. Zim was more concerned about the damage to his base...and to Dib.

"I saw it!" Gir exclaimed, "It was a big fleshy wet putty ball!"

"Gir, what do you mean...you saw it?" Zim asked.

Machine vision worked differently for SIR units, sometimes they can sense mines or see if an enemy was hiding, but Zim never thought an invisible creature capable of such destruction could be seen through Gir's eyes. "Zakky! That big round thingy! He was round and _biiiig_ and had skin like chewed bubble gum!" Gir exclaimed in more detail, "He was a big ol bubblegum ball! Oh, but he gots a large chicken beak that goes _omnomnomnom!"_

Dib sighed, sharing a confused glance at Zim, while holding his left eye as it stung. Dib didn't have to say anything as Zim could read from his tense expression, that he wanted answers about these abominations nagging Zim and calling him, Zimalyon. Things were moving quickly as if these things couldn't wait for Zim to choose how to act. "I don't know who they are," Zim answered.

Dib sat next to him, "Then why are they hounding you-"

"_I said I don't know!_" Zim snapped.

Dib winced, "Can you at least explain to me what Zimalyon is?" The lab was silent except for a few beeps of the system trying to regain power in the darkness. Gir's eyes and tummy provided a meager light source as Zim contemplated whether to tell Dib or not. Zim grew up thinking Zimalyon was just mere old Irken mythology, among the other ironclad deities who gave blessings of victory and granting Tallest a long life. Zim decided not to give into detail about his kind's past lore.

"He's just a War God," Zim replied, begrudgingly, "I just happened to share the name as him; that's all. I'm not Zimalyon." He said that more to himself than Dib.

Dib was rubbing his left eye since he opened it. He wanted more answers but he felt sore from Xaxul's blast. Dib let out a groan, adjusting his vision to the darkness, it was one thing to lose your vision from a bomb blast but his pupil had mutated. Zim knew it was a stupid question to ask but he managed, "How's your eye?" Dib briefly shook his head, letting out an exhausted breath.

"Hurts."

"Can you see fine?"

"A little blurry but yeah…"

Zim took a deep breath, "Listen to me Dib, I want you and your sister to go to the next city over and rent an apartment. It's not safe for you two to stay when these horrible sky monsters are running rampant."

Dib was of course stubborn about leaving Zim on his own, but Dib put family first...his body was aching though, even for Gaz's safety; Zim felt just as important. Zim noticed his hesitation and slapped Dib across the cheek, catching him by surprise.

"Ow!" He yelped, rubbing the sore spot. Dib glared up at Zim.

"I got weapons and armor stashed! It's insulting to think I'm so weak!" Zim snarled, "Leave now while Xaxul is gone! He damaged your pupil, you worm, do you want to lose your mind too?!"

"How do you expect to fight creatures you can't even see?"

"I'll figure something out," Zim replied, Dib rolled his eyes at Zim's flimsy excuse, "You've dawdled here enough, _move your ass!" _Zim had picked up on some earth obscenities during his stay, but Dib was still startled whenever Zim smacked him with his swearing. Zim brought Dib back to the surface and made him get back on the sidewalk since the base's pathway was destroyed. He brought him over the remains of his fence and dragged Dib halfway up the road where his house was. Dib looked crestfallen.

"Will you be okay?" Dib asked.

Zim shook his head in frustration, "Think about your family _first!_" Zim gave an aggressive shoving from the back, not caring if Dib was dragging his feet at this point.

"Ack-! Gah! N-nyah-! Hey quit it!" Dib yelped, "Okay, okay...I'm going-!" Zim took off his hands off his back, Dib let out a disgruntled sigh, "You better be alive when you get back."

Lard Nar and his crew had settled on a planet Lard's father had settled on after escaping Vort, Gin Tonix was an old Vortian but he was a reliable (if not aloof) old man who made his new home out of an abandoned casino that once belonged to the old Irkens. No longer did aliens gather in a casino as big as a hotel with living areas and a restaurant area; the tables and slots were empty except for lights and sound effects and an aging poster that was congratulating a Tallest Matilda for the Grand Opening. Lard Nar watched Gin Tonix look outside with a cigarette in his mouth, seeing through a large makeshift telescope. "Ahh...ohh-! This...this is odd…" Gin exclaimed.

"What is it?" Lard said.

"Have a look yourself, the sphere of space is making waves of the sort."

"Old man, bugger it, you've gone senile…"

"No, no, Nar...have a look yourself," Gin moved as aside as Lard Nar looked through the telescope and adjusted the focus. Lard Nar at first didn't notice anything off in the distance, distant planets and stars twinkled and some shot off into the deepness, until a red colored sea like wave became a spider web around the sky before fading. It crashed yet it didn't do anything, but just disappear and reappear. Lard Nar looked at Gin Tonix pointing at the telescope.

"What's _this _supposed to mean?"

Gin blew out smoke, "Destruction or rebirth."

"That's supposed to mean what? You're saying the entire universe is starting to tear itself at the seams, or something?!"

"Look here, you cowardly prat. I've been around this hell pit longer than you have, you weren't even around to see those waves; it's the other side, the other side of the window. There's another layer you can't see...it's not that the universe tearing itself, they're merely trying to get out," Gin explained, "If you still have plans to take the Irken regime, I suggest doing it now. It's impossible to catch two foxes." Lard Nar looked at Gin skeptically.

"Dad, you're not battling on a full wicket, you tosser," Lard Nar replied.

Gin smiled, "You'll understand when you see it."

Lard Nar fell quiet until Spleenk ran over carrying a radio monitor, it was the Irken planet frequency, and the announcer was on shuffling papers; unfortunately it was too muffled to make anything, but Spleenk looked at Lard Nar with sparkles in his eyes. "Boss, _boss! _Their leader, Tallest Red, went off the rails during his visit! He's like in the Syan Hospital on Dorik 9!"

Lard Nar looked contemplative, "Perhaps we can negotiate with Tallest Red while he's weak. Syan Hospital...I'm going there to pretend to be a visitor from Irk. It's going to feel awful taking advantage of a sick Irken; but he took advantage of my people! I guess we're even!" he declared, but deep inside he felt nervous to see Red. The more level headed of the two Tallest being sent to a hospital intended for those that had mentally deteriorated.

Red was almost inconsolable, it wasn't just the revelation of knowing Ryda was in the veils, that he had to accept that Ryda was going to tear the empire apart from its roots with Zim-Zimalyon-the war steed of long ago that was implanted in Zim. Red's power was meaningless, his position were mere straws compared to Ryda and Zimalyon. Red knew there was more coming, he didn't know why, but the dread swept over him; Ryda was just _one_. Who else was up there? Who else hid behind that kingdom in the skies? Red's brain patterns were read by his alien doctor, "My Tallest, the good news is your PAK read out in normal, however your brain is giving out anomalies, have you had any prosthetic or brain implants?"

Red shook his head, his breath getting heavy, "D-doc, you gotta listen to me. They're coming to kill me...they're watching me with those stinking eye nebulas! They look like helix nebulas, but they're not! They're not! They're not! They're not!"

"Shh, shh, my Tallest, we'll get something to calm you. Please answer my question."

"N-no...why would you ask that?"

"Because your brain is giving odd waves. You _sure_ you never had an implant?"

Red nodded, "N-never had one, honest to Irk, you can put a metal scan or something on me, if you don't believe me."

The doctor shook his head, "No, a confirmation is all I needed. Do you need your sedatives? It's a bit early to have another dose of anxiety medicine, but I can prescribe a VX10 if you feel like you need an antidepressant." Red sighed, tucking his legs in. "By the way, you have a visitor…" the doctor added, Red perked up thinking it was Purple but he frowned at the sight of Lard Nar.

"What's this horny toad doing here? SHOO!" Red waved dismissively at him.

"Still jaunty after six years I see," Lard Nar replied dryly.

"You're that puny Vortian who caused us damage! Why are you here? Let me guess, want to beat up a Tallest while he's sick?" Red snapped.

"I'm not _that cruel,_ you bratty bug. I'm here to negotiate."

"Negotiations declined, you jerk."

"My, my, you are going to make things difficult…" Lard Nar sighed, he walked over and glanced around making sure there weren't any cameras and punched Red to his cheek, "That's for my people...now, negotiations or I'll go for your other cheek next!"

Red caught his breath.

"I thought you said you weren't cruel to take advantage of me?" Red spat.

"Oh, this isn't taking advantage as more so giving you what you deserve. We were good allies till you decided to shoot us in the back, you bloody traitor."

Red winced, "Fine, fine, we can talk."


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Dib hated moving, even if it was temporary, and his dad was adamant about Gaz staying home while Dib was given the okay to live on his own. It was not a cheap rental yet Professor Membrane wanted the best for him, making it a prepaid suite than just a regular apartment room. It didn't change the sensation that Dib was alone and was forced to work part time in order to get food to cook with. Gaz helped move the boxes and helped him unpack, it lasted two weeks but it felt too short for the siblings. Dib continued his education online as the only way to keep up with studies, but he felt empty from not seeing Zim. He really wished Zim could come banging on the door to call him a stupid little big headed earth monkey, it never came to it. Dib let out bored moans almost on occasion, even watching new episodes of Mysterious Mysteries of Strange Mysteries felt lackluster until they showed footage of what looked like a moving helix nebula just above a city. Dib nearly choked on his coffee.

"_Oh my God!" _the woman on a nearby street corner, holding her camera gasped in awe at seeing the nebula stare down at them, it's ghastly pupil made from the sky above was breathing, _"Holy shit! You see this? What is it?" "Oh God, it's like five football stadiums large!" "Is it a fanta morgana?!"_ more people started crowding in and pointing as this eye looked on. Dib soon noticed the eye staring at the camera and shut the TV off.

"No, no, no, this...this is all wrong…" Helix nebulas were dead stars in space, when they exploded, it resembled an eye; such nebulas were just that, just dead stars, but this was moving and observing. Helix nebulas were nicknamed the Eye of God by some people, but to see it act like a watching omniscient being made Dib feel like he wanted to vomit. This had to do with Zim being Zimalyon, first Xaxul, now sky eyes. _The pact has been undone. The pact has been undone, _Dib thought to himself, whatever the Irken empire did, it had come back to usurp them and Zim was part of it. Dib got up, about to wash his face but he heard the apartment door be knocked on. He groaned and unlocked it, not in the mood for visitors, only to see Mr. Dwicky standing there with a box of pizza. Dib tried slamming the door on him, only for the old school counselor to hold the door back, "I'll break your fingers if you don't leave!" Dib warned, aggressively.

"Hey, hey, that's not any way to treat your old pal," Dwicky replied.

"We're _not _friends," Dib added.

Dwicky sighed, "I know how weird it looks, but can we talk?" he showed him the box, opening it, "Besides, look, I brought food. I figured you might be hungry." Dib looked at the box more closely, realizing it came from the pizzeria across the street, he recognized the little cartoon devil chef holding a chili pepper pizza. Dib had to admit to himself; he felt lazy to cook and didn't know what to pick for delivery. He reluctantly caved only because a hot meal was better than starving.

"You pull anything, I'm kicking you out."

Dwicky gave a small chuckle, "You've certainly grew more of a backbone than the last time I saw you," Dib didn't answer, greedily picking up three slices onto a plate with a can of root beer to wash it down. Dwicky sat on the couch, watching Dib, "Whatever happened to your _little green friend? _Is he still around, chum?"

Dib was halfway to finishing his pizza slice, before staring at Dwicky in confusion, "Why do you care where Zim is? I thought you went off with two other aliens on their ship."

"Oh, you know me, always trying to help. Now, please cooperate and tell me where Zim is."

Dib's eyes widened as the pizza in his mouth started to sour, once he was struck with realization. Dib nearly choked on his meal, hastily drinking some of his root beer, and looking at Dwicky. Dwicky gave an odd curled smile, and his pupils weren't normal; Dib wasn't able notice due to the light as it was late but Dwicky's pupils were wrong. He doubted the old counselor needed contacts, but his pupils were horizontal, like a goat. Dib knew such a look was associated with demons, but this was no demon before him, but this man was not Dwicky either. "You're _not _Dwicky…" Dib managed trying his best to mask his fear, only for his legs to shake.

"Dwicky" sighed in disappointment, sounding like his fun lost his buzz, "Gee, I was kinda hoping you didn't notice. I figured you would be comfortable with this look. I should have gone with someone less obvious; that idiot counselor was the only one I can get to though, _what a shaaame."_

Dib picked up a broom from against the wall and aimed it. "Dwicky" rose an eyebrow, not at all threatened by the improvised weapon, and sent Dib flying into the wall by merely giving a dismissive wave. Dib let out a grunt in pain, feeling his back feel sore by something pressing him down. Dib couldn't see it but he felt a giant hand press him against the wall. Dib could do nothing but struggle.

"Feisty little asshole, I'll give you that much," "Dwicky" laughed, "You got balls to fight against a God like me. I would gloat about how much better I am compared to Zimalyon, but that's not why I'm here. Where is that violent asswipe?"

Dib glared, "What's wrong, can't read minds?" he mocked.

"If I had the energy to slice that mouth out and shove it up your ass, I would, but to answer your question: No, I cannot read minds. I am a polite subject to the Euphorbia thorn thrones; I used to, till my mind was warped and pulled, I rebuilt my brain from scratch, but it was never the same...regardless, reading minds is the least of your worries." "Dwicky" kicked his shoes, treating this as a game than a serious conversation, Dib wished he could overwhelm this creature, but he was still stuck against the wall.

"What the fuck are you planning on doing to me anyway?" Dib snarled.

"Oh, a little prick here, a little prick there. I might be below the power chain, but I can still squeeze inside of your subconscious and pick you away. You'll be lucky if you become a vegetable by the end of it and not trying to eat your own fingernails. You're already _quite_ the problem. You get it?!"

"Wait, hold up...how am I a problem?" Dib said, "Zim's trying to keep me out of this. That's why I moved; and just what is your real name?!"

"_Ah, _Zim, Zim, Zim…! Such a simple name for that raging bull," he chuckled, "I am Juxteenictan or Juxteen, I bring disease and plagues just by blowing dust from my hands. Fire and horrible body sicknesses don't mix well, you see; and as for you about being a _problem. _I'll put into simple human terms you understand. I..._we _do not like our aggressive war steed to grow soft."

Dib looked perplexed. Zim was very rarely soft or affection, he was loud, brash and chaotic, "You must be confusing Zim for someone else...Zim's pretty much loud and messy. He's not soft-"

"Eeeeee!" Juxteen screeched, "He never told you? _He never told you!" _

Dib was horrified that this _thing, _this deity still in his old counselor's form and voice was now over him, touching his cheek with mock affection and licking and nibbling his ear, eventually licking Dib's lips. Dib squirmed in bodily protest, this monster tasted like burnt meat on his lips, it felt like licking char and Dib almost lurched. Juxteen yelped when Dib bit his lips, making him bleed, a smoking black liquid dripped to the floor. Juxteen licked his lips at this retaliation, as if to savor Dib's struggling to be defiant till the end.

"Would Zimalyon attempt to kill me if I kissed you, I wonder?"

"Don't you fucking touch me!" Dib snapped, "I can bite your tongue next!"

"Oooh, I can see why Zimalyon is fond of you," Juxteen crooned, "I bet you have a fire in your ass as much as your tongue does..._but I'm not here to flatter Zimalyon's item, you're ANNOYING!"_

Dib felt Juxteen's hand on his head and his throat felt as though something was squeezing his vocal chords, making him unable to scream or yell as a dark cloud invaded his brain like worms. Oh yes, these dark thoughts of old placing Zim on an autopsy table, and putting him inside a tank were still delicious and fresh as ever to Juxteen, that succulent _burn _was like fresh ambrosia. Show me more, Zimalyon's precious item, show me more of your dark secrets so I can breed more plagues.

"Ahn...stop...it…" Dib coughed.

"_YOU SHUT UP WHILE I DINE!" _Juxteen roared.

"Up...up yours-!" Dib moved his leg up and swiftly kicked him between his knees, causing the invisible sensations of being held down to fade. He got up and picked up a Bigfoot statue from the mantle and bashed Juxteen's head with it. The statue broke in half as Juxteen fell to the floor, with his mouth open; a long tongue slithered out. The tongue twitched and moved and seemed to be seeking Dib while it laid on the carpet. Dib panicked, getting a knife from the kitchen and smashing the tongue into pieces until it resembled flattened meat.

Oh fuck. Oh _fuck! _Dib realized how wrong this looked. A thing resembling his old counselor on the floor with a mulched tongue that was like a tapeworm. Dib coughed and hacked once the panic set in like he was in a bad dream. Dib just told himself he had to get out of this room for now; he hastily picked up his backpack, rushing out, and locking his apartment door. He didn't want to know how Juxteen was like when angry after Dib had knocked him out.

Zim was busy working on upgrading on his harpoons, that he made after Xaxul's rude visit, until he got the call from Dib. He groaned in annoyance, he had forgotten they exchanged numbers during a project they did together in school. Zim answered, only to hear a frantic call from Dib. Dib was talking so quickly it was almost incomprehensible, "All right, all right, Dib talk slowly...I'm getting a headache. Can you speak slowly?!" Zim wasn't kidding on getting a headache, compared to human ears, Irken antenna felt more vibrations. Dib's motormouth was giving him a minor migraine.

"Oh fuck, oh God, Zim…" Dib was on the verge of sobbing, "One of them found me where I was staying. Holy fuck, that shit looked like Dwicky and sounded like him too!"

Zim felt his blood grow cold, "Who was it? Xaxul?"

"No, no...he called himself Juxteen...I...I knocked him out but I can't think...I don't know what to do."

Zim paused, he could only imagine what Dib was feeling at this point. He felt Juxteen was looking for him, but he got to Dib instead; they knew Zim and Dib knew each other, of course, deities know such connections. Zim felt the hurt of stress, reluctantly accepting Dib was unsafe without him.

"Dib, get your bags and come back to me," Zim replied.

What started out as a talk of trading negotiations and barter between Lard Nar and Red quickly became a talk of Red confiding to him. He talked of the helix nebulas that acted like a real eye outside his window when it was night and how he probably knew more about Zimalyon than he let on. Ryda had altered memories, Red could no longer ignore the gap at this point but his PAK was unreliable. Zimalyon and the sky gods of space were nothing but old maid superstitions or fairy tales weaved from ancient mythology, but the Irkens in their period of blood boiling war had harnessed them and were no doubt blessed and cursed. Red was possibly no better, he used Zim's rage against him during their time at the academy, made sure the little puntz ate dirt and get in trouble with the coach. Zim would cry out, "But it wasn't my fault!" and be met with laughter as Red and Purple giggled from the back study tables; had they known what Zim's purpose was…

But of course they never knew, this was a test from divine hands who predated even religion, Elders who craved violence and chaos, petty and rotten to the core. Zimalyon might have been thrown in as a trial, but none of the Irkens of this current generation saw him as a war savior. Zim was small, he was tiny, he killed many and created fires. They kicked him hard enough that Ryda was laughing.

"Your kind is nothing but of bunch of planet conquering twats if you just ignored the policies of making a pact with a deity connected to space itself!" Lard Nar bluntly commented.

"Why do you think Ryda waited so long? She could've gotten us when we banished Zim to exile on earth," Red sighed, "She could have swiped us after we gave Zim his trial."

"Deities usually have long periods of being dormant, at least, that's what Vortian libraries say in our mythology; but we're talking about Gods that have been here for bloody centuries. If you want my honest opinion...I suggest you listen to Zim."

"_Zim?!"_ Red almost shouted, "Do you want Irk to burn again?!"

"Look at it this way, you coward, Zim might be Zimalyon's reincarnation, but; they're not the same. You see? One has been living...breathing off of wars throughout the galaxy," Lard Nar explained, "Then you got this chaotic green bean Irken with a defective PAK who runs on a different interface. You heard of children who remember past lives, do you? If both souls work in the same body…" he paused, "I lost my train of thought there."

"No, you're saying if both souls can juggle themselves. Irk might have a chance?"

Lard Nar shrugged, "_Possibly;_ but I'm no diviner, there hasn't been a diviner or prophets for years throughout the galaxy. No one remembers a Ryda anymore, the Elder Gods are just that...stories."

"Until Zimalyon was purposely placed into Zim," Red sighed.

"Something needs to be done...you don't want to know what the rest of the family."

Red looked at him, "You seem to be knowledgeable...if slightly; why don't you help us with this thing?" Lard Nar shook his head, "Why? You're a Vort!"

"Exactly. I'm part of the resistance against you, remember?" Lard Nar pointed out.

"Urgh, the _Resisty _is still a stupid name."

Lard Nar got up, "Well, I'm not helping you till we reach an agreement. I shall send a list of terms, if you agree to all of it; I will help you, knowing your spoiled butt, you won't. I'll help you with this but I'm not helping you. I'm helping everyone who suffered under Operation Impending Doom Two." Red fell silent watching the Vortian leave as nurses came in with an IV. Red was always the somewhat level headed of the two Tallest, he handled affairs of what Purple pushed away and did his best to handle conquering plans; but this moment was asking him to be a leader. That empty pedestal was standing before him, but he wondered...if this is what Ryda wanted. The players falling into place.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Dib looked a bit haggard by the time he walked into Zim's house, the bumpy taxi ride didn't do much to ease his anxiety, or make his head feel any better. Juxteen had him in a corner and pounced him. Dib thought his reaction wasn't enough, by the time Juxteen was kicked, his eye and mental state were slowly connecting like some warped lobotomy; Xaxul damaged his pupil into a crescent, and Juxteen's dark cloud just unearthed something...Dib felt it was there...but what it was he had no idea. Dib felt sick, causing Zim to order him to take a rest in the same bed he once did before this whole ordeal started. Dib could only reluctantly oblige, changing into pajamas and sleeping instantly once his head landed on the pillow. Gir pulled the covers over him before rushing over to Zim, "Master, Dib's big ol head is giving black smoky stuff like burnt toast!"

Zim's metal work was disturbed, causing him to bump against the weapon from below on a hovering metal work chair. There was a gentle clang once Zim's forehead struck it, but he still treated it like any other injury and let out a loud grunt. "You saw _what?" _Zim groaned.

"There's smoke…"

"From...his head?"

"Yeah-!"

Zim started to feel more and more disturbed about Gir's sudden ability to see such occurrences more and more lately. He could see Xaxul, pointed out castles in the night sky, chasing after butterflies that weren't there, and now this. If it was just another one of Gir's silly routines, he would chalk it up to Gir's inner insanity; but these could no longer be considered coincidences. Gir somehow can see something normal SIR units can't, thermal and X-ray vision inside the lenses were unable to see another reality; yet he saw it while Zim can't. Zim took a deep breath, "Gir, explain to your master why you can see all this."

"I just see it," Gir said plainly.

Zim scowled, "That's not a proper answer!"

"Master can't see it?"

Zim sighed, "No...you know, never mind. I got to work on these weapons in preparation Xaxul tries to bring his smelly ball worm face around here again."

"Master I'm surprised you can't see it!"

Zim paused, looking back at Gir from his monitor of blueprints. "Why do you say that?" he asked. Gir smiled innocently and pointed at Zim; Zim felt his body tense up clutching the hovering monitor.

"Zimmy boy in you! Zimmy has clear eyes!" Gir exclaimed. Zim slapped his hand away, harshly, as he fell back clutching his head. That sensation of another second skin beneath him bubbled. He kept trudging with the blinds on, trying to forget Zimalyon but trying to escape him just made it come full circle at every turn. You can't escape what's inside of you like this, Zim thought bitterly, this was no different from his PAK but this was more than just the mind. It was a soul that was deeply sealed.

_Ah, may I speak now?_

Zim might as well have been speaking with a mirror, that voice was him, yet it was eloquence and authority as one would have expected from a war figure. If Zimalyon was seen as a fierce wave of fury, this was not Zimalyon right now. He was calm, and Zim could picture a shadow in the distance, clad with red hued armor and black crown with a bloody veil. This shadow was Irken shaped, yet Zim could tell this man was not of any origin, he wasn't Irken to begin with but this is how he was to his people. Zim squinted in seeing the movement of a salute.

_Your eyes are finally clear, if not briefly...you and I share many parallels and similarities. I must apologize if this is still a lot to take in, I do not have a lot of time on my part either. _

_Zim, we are incomplete..._

You're asking me to just give my body to you?

_Not give. Acknowledge. I've been silenced for far too long, the universe is cracking internally. Pretty soon they'll be nothing left as the serpent finally devours its tail. _

_Space expands, but not while our mother is eating at it._

_Ryda'kyangtor, we must not let her hear our soft whispers. _

_Cooperate with ME and we might have a chance to—_

"No, no! No deal! _No deal!" _Zim yelled, "I refuse to believe you don't have your own ulterior motives! Xaxul and Juxteen have both hurt the Dib looking for you! I have no interest in helping any of your kind if you're all just monsters!"

_Zim, you're a monster too...you were always the wolf…_

"I had enough of you, Zimalyon!" Zim shouted, "Get out of my sight, erm, Zim's brain! I want no more of this! You hear me, armored beast?! **No more of this!**"

_Auribus teneo lupum, Zim…_

Zim felt his skin feel normal again and the vision faded as if Zimalyon was never amongst the lights of the lab. Zim rubbed his hands over his head, his green skin felt drenched in cold sweat, dealing with Xaxul and Juxteen were one thing but Zim had to reluctantly accept that he too was molded of the same clay. _You're a monster too, Zim..._even if things returned to normal, Zim won't have a harder time accepting the man under his skin, this goddamned God. Zim decided to temporarily stop his work and check on Dib, he opened the door and his antenna dropped at the sight of Dib. Zim had only left left to work for a couple of hours and Dib looked pale. He rushed to the human, kneeling next to Dib, feeling his forehead and realizing he was running a high temperature. Oh fuck, not now, why were human bodies so delicate?!

"Dib...Dib? Please wake up," Zim said gently.

"My...my head...hurts…"

Zim clenched his teeth as he felt something dripping onto his fingers from Dib's ears, at first, Zim was horrified thinking it was blood but it was watery and black. Zim wished he knew what Juxteen had done, but seeing that substance drip made him wish he kept one extra harpoon to murder Juxteen for hurting his nemesis. Zim took out a vial from his PAK and collected a sample, it felt wrong to exploit Dib in this state, but he needed a better understanding of what they were up against. Zim placed a cork on the vial before studying the liquid briefly, he put in his PAK and cleaned up the dark stains by having the bed go through a microscopic self cleaning. "Computer, provide a syringe of OGv15, it should expel what's causing his draining of color."

"Zim...I'm cold…" Dib gasped out, his eyes still closed.

"Shh…" Zim silenced him, "It's going to be a quick poke, all right?" he adjusted the syringe needle to be unusually thin that one would think it was invisible, before he injected it into Dib's vein. Zim was never one for medical, but he had to gain a basic understanding of what medicine was good for what while on the battlefield. Zim felt Dib was no better, running into two weaker Elder Gods and surviving as a human was rather admirable.

Zim looked relieved when his deathly pale skin returned to a light beige. He felt his mouth start to tremble and his eyes started to water, he had no idea if it was himself or Zimalyon but he leaned over Dib, before cradling Dib's head on his lap.

Oh Zimalyon if this is you, you are truly cruel making me feel this way. Why must Zim feel so emotional over such a stupid human?

"Mm...Zim," Dib mumbled, stirring, "What's going on?"

Zim felt like he cracked from the inside, "It's...it's my fault you got like this. These horrible _things, _these _creatures _aren't going to leave me or you alone; I have no choice, you're staying here with me till we figured something out." Dib paused, lost in thought as he tried to register his bearings; realizing Zim was using "we" instead of "me" or "I" this once was one of them.

"Zim...does a red kingdom mean anything to you?" Dib suddenly asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"A red kingdom?" Zim pondered after wiping away his tears, "Was it reddish purple?" Zim at first thought he was talking about Irk.

"No...no...it was like terra cotta red and rose red...just brownish red and it looks...looks so horrible, and, that smell from the castle windows...burning rotten meat…"

"Dib, you're just delirious. You just need to rest," Zim said firmly.

Dib shook his head in frustration, "No! You're not listening to me Zim! I know you know that place! You know that kingdom-!" Zim did his best to comfort Dib who was acting like he was going through a frustrating tantrum. Dib kept yelling out "You know about the red kingdom! It's in the sky! You know it's from the sky!" Zim swiftly injected a sedative and Dib slumped on the bed. Zim caught his breath, feeling a shiver go up his spine, as he felt invisible cold fingers stroke him mockingly.

_You know about the red kingdom in the sky, the wolf knows the red queen in the thorn forest…_

Purple loathed being dragged into a meeting, with Red being tended to, this meant he had to take his place since he and Red shared Tallest duties. Ugh, this wasn't fun in the slightest but this was over the Control Brains debacle; it wasn't just Judgementia, parts of Irk holding Control Brains, and Control Brains in Irken working established planets had gone insane, at worst, some of the older ones had died by self termination by cracking and shattering their bowl before dying from being out of the tank and excessive blood loss; at worst, a couple exploded from unknown reasons when signs of their monitoring read as normal.

"We might not be able to rely on Control Brains anymore at this rate," Ex-Tallest, Komb stated, "The Brains have been with us for centuries, you can't just replicate a big muscle that's been here before us; and their AI is more complicated."

"Can't rely on Control Brains anymore?!" Purple almost choked on his soda, "Are you insane, we need them!"

"Then my liege, what do you offer to make the Brains more at ease?"

"Try putting up sound proof walls!" Purple yelled, throwing his soda cup at Komb, that landed on his head like a comical hat.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those walls inside of the rooms were made with the toughest soundproof material," Derk, an Irken elder spoke up.

"Um...sound proof ear buds?"

"Brains don't have ears."

Purple cupped his cheek, "Bah, I hate meetings."

"Computer, start the meeting," Komb ordered as Purple slumped in his seat, a bit lazily. These older ex Tallest were such show offs.

_"Our meeting today is about the hazards of a recent Control Brain malfunction that happened simultaneously in all 300 planets, and 125 moons owned by the Irken Empire. The time of malfunction happened at the hours of Knö and the secondary hours of Kidan. As of now, the Control Brain population has dropped dramatically, the death toll rising from 5% to 30%. _

_The highest medical of Irken Professionals and the best of Galactic Engineering are at a complete loss over what has caused these brains to die; however, some theories have come to light in hopes to relax the troubled Irken population:_

_One: A possible hacking by an enemy._

_The Irken Empire has gained exponentially, but not without retaliation. This theory suggests a widespread hack has invaded the syyyyyyysteeeeeems faaaaaaaailiiiing…."_

"Computer? Computer, our meeting!" Komb barked, slamming his gauntlets, "No good piece of trash!"

The computer suddenly started cackling, the calm electronic feminine voice actually broke into a mad laughter. "No...oh no, it can affect computers too?!" Purple yelled in alarm, "Tallest Komb we must leave. Who knows what this...whatever, might do! It's already gotten to this computer somehow. Let's just get away!"

_"A man of words and not of deeds, is like a garden full of weeds; and when the weeds began to grow, it's like a garden full of snow; and when the snow begins to fall, it's like a bird on the wall…"_

The meeting hall started blinking red from an alarm going off, as the building started to shake. Komb tried pushing the Emergency Stop button but it was broken, no matter how hard he pressed and smashed, an electronic voice rang "_no function". _Purple almost pulled his antenna out, and hovered over to Komb, slapping the darker purple eyed, older Tallest that it left the other in a brief tipsy.

_"And when your back begins to smart, it's like a penknife in your heart; and when your heart begins to bleed, you're dead, and dead...dead indeed…"_

Purple dragged Tallest Komb out with him as the meeting hall collapsed on its pillars; the Irken meeting hall was made from the strongest metals, and the finest of security; but now it was reduced to char, and it's tall skeleton was being eaten away. The more the Irken populace looked on with their leader, the thirty story building really was being eroded to look like bare bones, the top of the building with the Irken symbol decayed from internal heat. The top antenna curled into horns from pipes, the eyes became black voids from charred metal, and that grotesque grin was made from those who were unable to leave and tried seeking shelter from the top. Purple realized grimly they were bones, and the charred holes with were once their PAKs.

"Tallest Purple...what's happening to our empire?" Komb asked. Purple only hung his head in guilt.

"This is...my fault," he replied.

"Why do you say that? You didn't hack into my computer."

"No...but...I...I helped be a catalyst for this…" Purple broke into tears, "I helped...in this…" Komb didn't understand, he had never seen Purple become so emotional before in ages. He held the other Tallest trying to make sense of this.

"You have done nothing."

"I...I hurt Zim...I hurt Zim...I...hurt Zim...this is my...punishment for it…" Purple replied dully, "Ryda is angry but she's especially...angry at me...I...I did it...I was the one...who tried to drown Zim...at our Elite obstacle course...t-tampered with…" The top of the meeting hall exploded and a sharp piece of pipe impaled Purple's PAK. Komb hastily pulled it out.

"Oh...oh no…" Komb gaped in horror at seeing a piece of the PAK be damaged, he recognized it as one connected to personality. A crowd of Irkens rushed in, as Komb called for an ambulance. Purple smiled tiredly raising his thin claws up as his eyes felt clear, he could see butterflies glowing with luminous red feathers, and a lovely bright tipped tail like a star.

"Heaven…"

Purple was unconscious before the vehicle arrived, but the Irkens were trembling in fear as their second Tallest was placed on the gurney. "Oh no, who's going to lead Irk now?" "We don't have anyone as heir left as Tallest?" "The Control Brains have gone amok too!" "Oh my Tallest, it's the end for us, the end of Irk!" the Irken crown chatted in a panic. Komb looked down contemplative, he was long retired, but Irk couldn't function without a leader.

"My people as long as Tallest Red and Tallest Purple recover, I shall temporarily regain my title as Tallest till they are well enough to reign. _Glory to the empire!"_

"Glory to Irk! Glory to the empire! May we reign and conquer, and stand tall to thee!"


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

_Centuries before Zim was an invader and Red and Purple were the Almighty Tallest of Irk, they were merely young Irkens in training, being part of the Elite, in hopes of being invaders. General Sylen of the Ducorps 12 that once fought alongside Tallest Miyuki, was their first training coach, he was tough as stone and wasn't any different from the other trainers other than Miyuki and Sylen were past comrades. Zim and the other trainees could only stare at the sudden change of scenery, so used to the jagged and unmerciful Irken landscape, that seeing a large pool of Irk's water was perplexing. They soon noticed a bunch of gear on the walls, suits that were heavy with an air sphere button, and two water tanks. Purple saw Zim's name written in Irken, the shortest one next to Skoodge; he noticed Zim was going to pick it up and stopped him briefly, "Uh, hey Zim, can I get a good look at that?" Purple said. Zim looked a bit wary. _

_"What for?" he asked._

_"The...screws look loose," Purple replied, "Wouldn't want an old pal to accidentally drown, you know?" Zim rose an eyebrow and looked at his suit, before Skoodge bumped in to take a good look at it himself. _

_"They're not loosened, you're a liar, Purple!" _

_"Shut up Skoodge, you short and ugly toadstool!" _

_"Just because you're taller than us, doesn't mean you should lie to your comrades!" Skoodge said firmly. Red firmly shoved Skoodge from behind, causing him to give a small bounce on his stomach. Red and Purple burst into laughter at the sight._

_"Hey, you can defend pipsqueak all you want, you muffin, just remember where you are on your grading scores!" Red jeered. Purple leaned over and took Zim's suit, smiling._

_"You trust me, right?" Purple asked, Zim felt his heart beat rapidly staring at both Red and Purple. He gave a shy swallow and gave an incomprehensible stammer in protest, but Red smirked and pulled him in for a forceful intense kiss. Red swiftly parted, knowing what this trust meant to Zim. _

_"H-here…" Zim handed his suit. Skoodge was furious._

_"Zim, they're taking advantage of you!"_

_"Didn't I just tell you to be quiet?!" Red shouted. _

_Purple used his multi tool to tamper with Zim's air tank, drilling a small hole into both tanks before giving it back to Zim. "Zim's such a little minx, isn't he?" Purple cooed. Zim was breathing heavily in Red's arms. Skoodge pulled Zim out of their arms and into a protective corner before Sylen walked in, blowing a whistle._

_"Get into your positions! You're swimming laps underwater! There's a button below on each side that you press for each lap!" Sylen barked, "This will train your body to get used to low gravity planets, ones more extreme than Irk! After one hundred laps, you can eat lunch! Now go, you smeet beans!"_

_Zim and the other Irkens got into their suits and got into a lane started swimming, air sphere helmets activating once they were below the surface; they kicked and moved their arms peddling back and forth until the first few buttons were pushed. Skoodge was falling behind still on his tenth lap but he noticed Zim was struggling. Zim was coughing and gagging, he was more flailing than swimming and his legs were helplessly kicking; although it was against the training session, Skoodge popped his head out as the trainees passed him._

_"General Sylen! General Sylen!" Skoodge called in distress, "It's Zim! He's—" Skoodge felt his body be pulled down by Red from below and he was kicked in the stomach by Purple. _

_"Wouldn't want a tattle tale to ruin our fun…" Red chuckled._

_"Yeah, you realize we're saving Irk right now," Purple add. _

_"Hey, I'm almost done with my laps, you make sure Zim takes the fall will ya?" They fist bumped each other and Purple swam over to Zim, smiling at the sight. _

_"Pur...ple…" Zim gurgled, water starting to fill his helmet, "H...help...can't breathe...gah...he...help…"_

_Purple just slightly offered his hand and watched in delight as Zim struggled to grab it, after a few kicks, Zim felt unconscious and he drifted into the darkness of the pool. Purple looked on to make sure Zim had properly drowned, he swam closer to where Zim fell and he found Zim sprawled on his back with his tank beeping in alert. Purple really thought this was the end of it, no more Zim to deal with and this was the nail in his coffin. Zim's eyes shot open, glaring a fierce red in Purple's direction, and leaking black bubbles came from his tank._

_"_Better hope I don't kill you first, for such an insult…"

_Purple's eyes widened as the bubbles became smoke, Zim grabbed his feet to make he was unable to move as a darkness enveloped the water and Purple was struggling to breathe. Purple shut his eyes as Zim pulled him over with an unknown strength._

_"Zim please...I'm sorry! Please let me go!" Purple begged. _

_Zim glared, grasping his hands around Purple's neck, bypassing the helmet. Purple was coughing harshly as Zim smiled sadistically. _

_"_Zim's not here...I am here…" _Zim answered._

_Purple felt a fierce whirlpool push him upwards as Zim broke into mad cackles, his laughter was filled with insanity mixed in blood lust. The pool bubbled before the waterfall flooded the entire building, the boilers and systems exploded from an unknown substance clogging it; and the top of the large clock became unhinged, killing trainees, slicing their heads clean off before being swept away from the water; once the darkness faded, the water was the color of Irken blood and Zim's form was molded from the fiery clouds._ _Zim's howls of maddening laughter echoed through the sky, but this was not Zim...Zimalyon stood before them… _

Zim sat up from the bed, breathing heavily. He coughed, clutching his chest as an enveloping hot pain came from beneath his skin. He slumped over, trying to steady his breathing. He didn't understand why such a memory came to him, he didn't even realize he had it in his PAK; his memories of that day were far more different due to some sort of memory tampering, but if this is what happened...Zim slammed his fist on the mattress in frustration. Tallest...no, Irken Elite Purple and Red tried to murder him with the training exercise by sabotaging his air tank supply, but what happened after...what happened after?! Zim had awoken in the Irken Hospital after what he was blamed for the pool tank bursting, but Sylen said that the pool was still intact, he was demoted for being honest. Zim clutched his head, remembering the laughing born from insanity...and oh Irk, the stench of blood...this was far worse than Impending Doom One…

Zim gasped when he felt movement and realized Dib had just rolled over to look at him from the bedside. "You...you look better…" Zim replied, "Are you still seeing things when you sleep?"

Dib looked sheepish, "Um, yeah; but, I'm sorry for becoming hysterical. I don't know what came over me. I'm a bit mad you just jabbed me with a sedative...but I don't blame you." Zim, for once, looked apologetic.

"Sorry about that," Zim sighed, "Is it bleeding?"

"I just put a band-aid on it."

Zim rubbed his head as Dib let out a tired breath, the days felt like an eternity as they struggled to survive through this. Zim thought back to that idiotic human phrasing of going up stream without a paddle, as it really felt like they were struggling to even endure this. Zim pulled his knees close to his chest, never had he felt so small before thinking about the situation over, but at the same time, he did not know if Zimalyon was still a horrible foul tempered knight. He shook his head. The last thing he wanted was to give his past self a goddamned knock on the door.

Zim refused to cooperate with him.

"What did you see this time?" Zim asked, trying to distract himself.

Dib looked crestfallen, "The universe ending...not just the end of the world...the end of us. Space was bleeding out red nova like clouds but nothing was born; they were just...remnants of stars, and I just saw that awful castle in the distance hovering in the void," he looked to Zim, "You think maybe these visions mean something?" Zim could only reply with a lazy shrug.

"Hell if I know."

Dib sighed, "Look, is there absolutely anything about it in an Irken library?"

Zim was getting annoyed Dib pulling straws so hard and quickly, but Zim wasn't any better. Not too long ago, he had a fit against Zimalyon, the other part of him from the past. "No...just ancient mythology," Zim replied, "Nothing conclusive." Dib groaned, justifiably irritated.

"Gee, you must be pretty lucky to not see anything weird."

Zim gave a nervous chuckle, "To be honest, I have them too after all this...but let's not ramble. Dib worm, have you ever handled a harpoon before?" Dib looked bewildered as if Zim had asked a personal question, his awkward smile splashed into mouth agape, and eyes as wide as saucers.

"_What?!"_

"Don't 'what' me, Dib thing," Zim said, "You know what Xaxul did to your pupil, it might be one of the reasons why you're getting these nightmarish visions. I need you to help me kill it; God or no God, I can't let it live."

"Xaxul...the lower God of messengers?" Dib replied slowly.

"It likes to hide from mortal eyes, but luckily Xaxul's large ball shape is his Achilles Heel. Gir can easily spot him while we harpoon it to utter complete _jelly!"_ Zim explained. Dib burst into soft chuckles, Zim glared, "What? What's so funny?"

Dib shook his head, smiling, "No, no...its just ever since this ordeal started I haven't seen you rave like this in ages," he said tears swelling, "I miss our silly little fights, and our rivalry. I feel like if the universe is going to end, then I might as well be at the end with you." Zim felt his heart skip into beats and pulled Dib close and held his hips. Dib felt surprised by the sudden affectionate gesture. They were both quiet, embraced in each others warmth.

"We might not be able to return to those days anymore…" Zim said softly.

"I…I guess so…" Dib closed his eyes and slowly leaned into him. Zim came to realization at the intimacy and shoved him to the bed, "Something wrong?"

"Don't...touch me."

Even though it was Zim who started it, things felt so weird, of course things were different now; their given chosen fates were derailed into an unknown linear path, but Zim felt frightened by this new sensation…

The fluttering and fierce desire to feel Dib at a level he kept at the back of his mind.

_The Fool cannot help but love The Prophet._

Shut up Zimalyon. This concerns the Dib and I, this doesn't concern you! Zim thought in protest.

_Does it?_

Zim ignored him. "Dib, you help man the harpoons, all right?" he breathed, "We're soldiers in a war now! We can't risk being _weak!"_ Zim yelled. Dib flinched as Zim left, his feelings felt as though they were in muddled waters.

Zim brought the harpoons to an abandoned town using a complex teleporters, and wired them to the city's chords and wires. Zim carefully attached Gir onto goggles which read his lens reading while Dib readied himself into his seat; sometimes subconsciously feeling his hips as if the day before felt like an erotic spell. Zim felt flustered at the sight.

"Don't touch yourself like that!" Zim barked, "We're in a battle not a bar!"

Dib felt his cheeks redden, "What the hell are you implying, you stupid lizard?!"

Zim flinched, "N-nothing...I just mean...d-don't distract me," oh crap, that came even worse, and it sounded so fine inside Zim's thoughts, Dib glared looking insulted but stayed in his seat, crossing his arms. He didn't say anything back. Zim sighed, feeling empty as he looked at the horizon, the remnants of an old town felt like a graveyard with dust kicking in the distance. Zim looked about the monitor and readied up a pivot from the ground. Dib was caught off guard when he heard something vaguely reminiscent of a church bell.

"Where's that coming from?"

"It's not coming from anywhere in our realm, I bet," Zim replied.

"What's that pivot for?" Dib asked.

"A flare, bigger than the ones human use. I just have a feeling Xaxul can't stand bright lights, even if his body expels it himself. Oh, and one last thing, take the helmet by your side; it's got a black out function so it can absorb Xaxul's light attacks," Zim showed him how to strap it on, while getting ready to wear it as well, putting on the helmet felt no different than putting on a bike helmet, but it came with extra features like a gas mask, a body barrier, and a round ball snapped air tank with an Irken symbol on it. "I'm going to release the flares, close your eyes if you have to!" Zim pulled a large red lever and the pivot released the flare bullets into the sky, each one leaving a trail of smoke, and exploding into the sky releasing a blaring red light across the city, the ocean and mountains. Dib kept his eyes closed, covering his ears after each boom.

"There's something in the distance…" Dib said once he opened his eyes, "It looks like the sun but…"

"That's not the sun on the horizon," Zim cut him off, "Gir, visual analysis!"

"Zakky boy, it's Zakky."

Zim started aiming as did Dib, "Where is he then? Where's Zakky boy?" Zim asked again.

"The south horizon…"

"Dib get ready to release chains B12, E68, X59, D01, and Z13!" Zim commanded. Dib examined the display before him, and opened up a compartment resembling switches. Dib switched on the numbers in the sequence, and one hundred large chain wheels started to spin underneath. Zim closed his eyes as did Dib as a bright light nearly blinded them even if the helmet softened the blast, the ground started shaking as Xaxul slowly appeared in their presence, faintly.

_The Eye, the fourth eye, the unclouded eye, do you see your divine messenger now that your eyes are slightly cleared from the fog? _

Zim growled, "Now is not the time for this!" he hissed. Zimalyon's constant yapping was becoming a distraction at this rate; how he wished this knight came with a mute button! Xaxul looked on from over the distance, but Zim could see his grotesque body like it was from a mirage; a disgusting, grotesque ball of flesh and organic compounds and they clung on like a disgusting gum ball. Xaxul was being propelled by two large rusty metal cogs attached to wheels and his mouth was covered by something resembling a bronze casket, but that was all Zim could make out; his eyes started to hurt from staring at Xaxul from far too long, he might've lacked ears and a nose but Zim lurched to the side spitting out blood. Xaxul was truly not meant to be seen by normal eyes.

_You're weak without me…_

Zim is never weak! He fixed his helmet, catching his breath. "We need to get him appear completely if we're going to get a good aim at him!" Zim barked. Dib gestured to the monitor in confusion.

"And just how are we going to make Lovecraft's chewing gum appear? We can't even stare at him for too long."

"Ooo, ooo, I gots one!" Gir jumped up from his seat and got on the lens reader machine. He leaned over, his robotic sliding open and a large burrito shot out at such a fast speed that it caught fire, before it blasted into Xaxul, the impact left an explosion of the soft wrapping and beans, ground meat, and sides managed to knock the horrible monster on its side. It's camouflage melted as organic tendrils flailed from the attack.

"That...worked, I guess," Dib said dryly.

"Gir, you're absolutely horrible, but that was brilliant and you're free to hurl as much burritos as you can at Lovecraft's chewing gum," Zim added.

Dib pulled down another level and large chains with a sharp hook attached to Xaxul like he was just meat on the hook; but Zim miscalculated how many were needed to hold the God down as ten more struck to his muzzle engraved with a saint that looked human but with her subjects resembling boars. The hooks latched and pulled, and Dib kept his grip on the lever, only for bronze object on Xaxul's mouth to shatter exposing a human like jaw and eight eyes like a flat fish. Dib turned his head away, feeling his vision wax and wane as looking at Xaxul's gaze was bringing upon colors like he was seeing spilled petroleum on the asphalt, and his sanity was slowly pecked away. Dib knelt down, shaking, feeling as if the gravity of the earth was pulling him downwards, threatening to drown him into the earth.

"_The human...the human...GIVE ME THE HUMAN!" _Xaxul roared.

"_Diiib!_" Zim howled, "Man, your fire! It's coming up your front!" Dib was scrambling as Xaxul, still wrapped in chains and hooks, started barreling towards him. The horizon felt warped and distorted, and Xaxul's massive tendrils snake along the sky, but they felt wider and bigger by Dib's altered vision. "J-just aim and pull your lever!" Zim shouted, hopping to Dib's side and rotated the lever before the pull. The harpoon blasted like a crossbow, and went through Xaxul's body like a swollen skin bubble being pierced with a needle. Dib coughed and moaned as his brain started to feel like it was going to split open.

Gir let out a shriek before running off of the harpoon machines, Zim had looked confused before realizing the rumble was coming beneath him. Zim hastily took Dib's wrist as they skid across the dirt and sand before the machine was split into two parts by Xaxul's invisible tendrils. Of course these gods refuse to play fair!

"Awww, big meanie bubble head broke Master's Godzilla darts," Gir said.

"It's not completely broken…" Zim added, indignant.

"Uh, Zim...I'm not exactly sure how much of this I can take...my brain feels like...it might...implode?" Dib clutched his head as if he had a bad hangover, or one of the biggest migraines in his life. Zim noticed Dib's skin becoming a sickly pale and his nose was bleeding from the mental assault.

"_Give meeee...the humaaaan! He knows too much, he will be disposed by my jaaaaaw!" _Xaxul gurgled, his vision impaired but he flailed and thrashed like a blind octopus thrown on land.

Zim didn't know what happened then, his body started releasing steam, in that one blinking thought of agreeing with Zimalyon his body reacted. Zim felt his skin turn as dry as a chrysalis before the skins of green and his pink eyes to antenna felt more and more together. The Zim of the ancient past of blood lustful and the chaotic Zim of the present united in layers, they already shared one soul, but their bodies connected as one.

"I feel...more like me again," Zim chuckled, "But, ohh, I remember so much. Xaxulyxen, you really are a weak piece of shit; killing you would be the most perfect rebellion against my mother."

Dib looked at him in amazement, "Z-Zim?!"

Zim's eyes never looked so fierce before, like the fires that burned on Irk. The Fool has been awakened from his slumber of chains...


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Zim looked over at the damaged machine in disrepair, before looking at Dib, "How much more can you think you can handle?" Zim asked. Dib looked down in guilt, rubbing his forehead, before his eyes widened at a tendril acting like a wild snake headed towards their direction. Dib let out a painful scream until Zim wrapped his arms around it as if he was wrangling a crocodile.

"Rudesome...half wit!" Zim barked, stomping a boot on Xaxul's arm, it was just one kick and it was amputated; it was just a sloppy organic worm in Zim's hands before it dissolved into cinder; Xaxul was an organic monster from the darkness of the sky and Zim made that monster's arm of flesh, bone and pus into coal and burning skin.

"_Zimalyon'k a'dahl…" _

"Don't say my real name in front of the Prophet," Zim said annoyed, "If I had enough power to summon my spear I would have killed you earlier."

"_You traitor...you're supposed to expand thy kingdom across these pathetic lands. The prophet is just a blasphemous pawn, the seducer of the pure amongst the wreaths. If you don't move your position. I shall offer your spine to our precious queen. The red queen, the one Y'dadulah of the blackest oceans of the heavens." _

Zim smirked, a hand to his hip as he looked over the machine his present self made, "You talk too much, Xaxul. You really are just talking ball sacks; is that any way to talk to the one born of fire?"

"_WERE YOU NOT LISTENING?!"_

"I have selective hearing," Zim mocked, while turning over the machine keeping Xaxul focused on him, not Dib, nor the machine, just him; as a low ranking God of being the messenger, Xaxul had many eyes but was cursed by one ear. Zimalyon was a fucking traitor yet his loyalty to listen and keep was his weak point, there was a reason why this big ball of flesh only caused heads to hurt and not drive mortals to insanity, but Xaxul had hurt the Prophet, more than once; there was no rhyme or reason at this point, Xaxul the God of messages finally released the fiery bull.

"_You agreed on the table, you severed your finger under oath!" _Xaxul snarled.

"That was many many centuries ago," Zim managed to turn the machine back on, without the use of the cities power, Xaxul realized his tactic and sprung more tendrils to wrap around him as if he was a pathetic fish wrapped around by the octopus' grip, "Ugh-!" Dib soon struck with reality that Zim was in trouble, he was so in awe at the scene before him that he had forgotten he was in battle. Dib saw Gir in the distance, also hypnotized by seeing Zim back talk Xaxul. Dib started running to him. They had to work together, they had to make this work.

"_To think you were once so powerful, yet here you are Zimalyon'k a'dahl, wrapped in mortal wool. I can break you like a doll, grind your bones to dust, or behead you with my jaw. You might have regained some power but you are no longer worshipped...nothing but a fairytale told by withered tongues. The Irkens hate you, the universe itself hates you. The sky shall split until—" _

"You really talk too much, Xaxul," Zim smirked before Xaxul was slammed by another assault by Gir; more tendrils sprung from the ground and were aiming at Dib clutching Gir. Zim pulled down the harpoon lever with his boot and Xaxul's mouth was penetrated and impaled by the mortal harpoon. It went through his body and went out his back; black blood gushed on the sand with odd mutated fish with teeth and large human eyes flop to the ground that were once in Xaxul's stomach. Zim was splattered with blood, yet he looked more annoyed than disgusted. He hopped down from the machine. Dib slowly trudged over with Gir who let out small squeals of delight at the unbridled carnage before him.

"Zim…" Dib breathed, "A-are you all right? I'm...sorry I was useless…" Zim shook his head.

"With how you are now, it's expected that such creatures like Xaxul can hurt simple mortals."

Dib raised an eyebrow, "Why are you speaking like that?"

Zim chuckled nervously, "Well…"

"Ah, Zimalyon, you _finally _woke up, _you dumb SHIT!"_

Dib and Zim looked taken aback at each other. Dib shook his head, realizing it wasn't him, but it was his voice. They both slowly looked behind them to see a twelve year old Dib; Dib himself recognized the goat eyes, and a disturbing smile turning into a sadistic grin, his clothes were exactly like when Dib was young but the shirt was a disgusting mustard yellow, the eyes of the face on his shirt looked crazed, and the neutral face below was constantly changing its mouth expression, as if it was an optical illusion painting.

"Juxteen…" Zim seethed.

Juxteen gave a small wave before skipping over in Dib's child look; Dib felt ready to slam the monster with Gir out of rage for making his younger self look grotesque.

"Aww, what's the matter, Zimalyon?" Juxteen mocked, "You don't like this form?"

"I don't like it either," Dib sputtered, "Why do you look like me when I was a kid?"

"You _interrupted MY feeding,"_ Juxteen growled accusingly, "I take the form of my dinner, and you, you big headed little fucker, kicked me in my fucking _balls_ and interrupted _ME!" _Zim leaned over and grasped Juxteen's small neck and held him up, the now small entity struggled in his grasp, kicking his legs and letting out grunts of frustration, "_You third rated knight BALL SACK of a FRESH COCK! Let me go!"_

"Tell me why you and Xaxul, one of the lowest tiers of your power were instructed to hunt down the Prophet. I expected mother to keep him and find him useful, but here she is throwing Xaxul, and _you_ in my path."

"Oh yes, you would like that, don't you? Zimalyon never plays games, just war, he plays war," Juxteen mocked, his long tongue hanging, "You were a pawn from the beginning as you cut open the womb and birthed by the dying sun. It's _unfaaaair_ to you, because you never get to see the boards."

Zim raised up Juxteen's glasses and swiftly poked him in the eye.

"_MOTHER FUCKER BUTT MUNCHER ASSFACE!" _Juxteen shrilled.

"I'm not here for riddles and vagueness, answer my question," Zim said firmly. Juxteen gave a small swat as Zim placed him down and he eyed them both, as a deity, he hated being put in the corner and even more so not treated with the respect but he was feared. Juxteen crossed his arms.

"The mortal is just making our plans...harder than it needs to be; his fourth eye is stronger than ours," Juxteen pointed to the middle of his forehead with two index fingers, "Spiritualist call it the third eye on this planet, don't they? To see things beyond, but to have a fourth eye is special, the clearest of lenses and the toughest to obtain. You're not enlightened when you get the fourth eye, you must be driven mad. The Prophet has the greatest fourth eye to see veils which have not been seen, therefore...the mark is on him; and that is all I shall say on the matter." Dib slumped in revelation.

"Must be...driven mad...the opposite of enlightenment."

"You've been sick in the head for years, haven't you?" Juxteen teased.

"You're in no position to judge him yourself, plague mongrel," Zim pointed out, "You who creates diseases and making them spread throughout the galaxy and planets, some of your little creations landed on earth, the black death—"

"Not as spectacular as the Plague of Galen and Justinian; but that's besides the point, my little war horse," Juxteen said matter of fact like, "The Prophet can see the future of our plans; I don't care what happens. I like observing, and playing my hands to rattle the board. I shall take my leave; careful not to step on glass as mommy watches." Juxteen pointed to the sky above them as a Helix Nova bloomed like fireworks going off, it's pupil opened up a black torrent and slowly absorbed Xaxul's corpse, skin, meat and bone coming apart before it was swallowed entirely. The eye faded into the air, leaving only debris of Xaxul's machinery.

Red struggled with visions and hallucinations throughout his time being looked after at the hospital;

the stench of plastic and medicine was making him dizzy, while the constant beeping from heart rate machinery was causing him a headache. Red slammed his gauntlets against the wall as he couldn't withhold the urge to cry anymore. He banged his head against the wall as he wept, guilt and shame mixed into an awful tar in his belly. Red faintly remember years ago about playing an emotional tryst on Zim, both he and Purple dragged him through the dirt, but Red especially pulled the wool over his eyes. Red's tender kisses to the smaller Irken when he was an elite was supposed to be a ruse, now here he was in the grave he dug; now realizing at the bottom of the pit, he realized the shimmer of the faintest love. Red could hardly tell that, maybe, he was skin starved or at the lack of company because of the absence of Purple; but Zim. He wanted Zim like a lovesick puppy groveling for mercy, he missed this cackling dense idiot.

Red shook his head, in denial of his hubris. It's just the IV medicine! The side effects...I'm sleep deprived…

"_At this moment, Irk is without leadership; ex-Tallest Komb has regained his seating temporarily until the current planet leaders are in good health. I repeat, Irk is…" _

Red was caught off guard by the transmission message, realization hit him like lightning, "Purple?!" Oh no, and Komb was well beyond his years, but Red was confused about what had happened to the other Tallest. He expected the worse but did his best to ignore such a negative little voice in the back of his mind. He opened his room door and hovered to the nearest help desk, "Someone please tell me what happened to Tallest Purple. We're both rulers of Irk, I need to know!"

"Purple? Tallest Red, he's not with us. You're here due to mental health issues. He's probably in another hospital."

Red slammed his gauntlet against the desk, "Then at least check your database and I'll drive there using a ship!"

"You have to be evaluated by your—"

"I have no time for evaluation papers, this is an emergency!" Red yelled. Red's doctor and a few nurses brought him back to his hospital room, despite his yells at wanting to see the other Tallest. Red was temporarily strapped down by velcro, in an attempt to try to calm him down. Red swallowed as he looked outside, seeing a moving eye in the night sky. It watched on, mockingly, at his plight.

Purple's PAK had some damage to his interface but because of Komb pulled out the blunt object out, it was less fatal. The most damage was to the personality processor, and a jolt to his limbic system; to fix a PAK was similar to surgery but the doctors were arguing how to approach, one misstep can alter Purple's personality drastically, and there was also a risk of accidentally putting the tall Irken into a coma. The doctors noticed a foreign chord dripping at the bottom of the PAK, it dripped an ink colored liquid and looked to be made from thin thread like follicles; Komb was contacted about it, but he recalled never seeing such a thing during the accident. How then could wires as thin as a needle be placed into Purple's PAK? This had to be placed in prior and the Irkens had a wide range of enemies. It could have been an attempt at assassination or sabotage, but there was just one problem, Irkens carried one PAK, a complicated copy could be made as a spare but they were made to the exact detail; if something like this had slipped out it would be highly unforgivable. "I...I need to...see it…" Purple wheezed through his ventilator, his eyes stinging slightly from the surgical light above him that felt like a morning sun, "I need to see her...the Y'dadulah...my queen...my red queen...she's waiting for me...in the castle."

"Tallest Purple, please don't talk; you're being treated for a severe PAK injury," the nurse said.

"I thought we pumped in enough anesthesia? How is he still awake?"

"If we put through anymore he'll overdose."

"We can't forward the procedure when he's like this," another surgeon said, "Inject a muscle relaxer through his amygdala; it doesn't have to be a big dose, give the smallest one." A machine with a thin small syringe gave a puncture through Purple's head and the surgery room became silent when a subtle echo of a mechanical string being plucked, a droning ripple, was heard throughout the room; aside from the heart rate monitor...this felt like a tainted harp. That sound rippled through the surgery room. They questioned what it was coming from inside Purple's head, even implants for the brain couldn't make such a weird sound. Purple was still looking at them in what could be described as heartbroken, as if a child being told Santa wasn't real during Christmas, or it was their parents putting in money as the Tooth Fairy.

"You believe me, don't you?" Purple pleaded, "Please..._please..._you have to believe me…"

The doctors looked at each other, exchanging wary glances, before Purple seemed to be lulled to sleep from the relaxer.

Zim fainted halfway when following after Dib and Gir across the dirt plain that lead back to the city. Dib was startled and Gir burst into shrieks of panic; Dib gently held Zim in his arms and the Irken stirred, looking confused. "Zima...lyon?" Dib asked, but Zim glared up at him becoming more bewildered. Zim shoved him aside, looking around to see what was left of the battlefield. Zim silently looked Dib who gave a confused shrug over what came over Zim.

"Did...did he do that?" Zim pointed to the empty ethereal machinery from afar.

Dib looked surprised, expecting an _I _but not a _he_, as if Zimalyon was completely different. Dib became sheepish, giving a nervous chuckle and shoving his hands in his trench coat pockets, "_You_ did that."

"Master did that," Gir added, "Master protected Mary."

Zim glanced at Dib and heat rise to his cheeks. It was only natural to protect Dib, he had to protect the human just to keep his purpose in life; it was nothing beyond that. Zim kept telling himself but he kept looking at Dib sometimes, occasionally their eyes would lock and both parties were flustered by the others gaze. Dib opened his mouth in an attempt to say thank you, but Zim turned his head away to put on his lenses and wig. "You wanted to say something?" Zim asked but by then Dib had decided to fold.

"Um," Dib stammered, "N-nothing…"

_You didn't agree with me completely! _

Zimalyon found his voice again, albeit a bit delayed, but he didn't hold back his anger. Zim felt his brain rattle. They were similar, Zimalyon was displaying a snarling tantrum that made Zim remember the occasions when he would blast at Gir for misbehaving. They were more together, Zim's body felt light but strong, he tested what he had on a large piece of rock next to the entrance; and he was amazed at how easy it felt. The rock didn't feel like weight of stone, it felt like picking up a large plastic ball in PE. Zimalyon's strength was astounding, even Zim wasn't this strong, not even on Hobo 13...he needed to use his gauntlet to drain power in order to get the same result. "Whoa…" Dib gaped in awe, startling Zim so badly that the rock broke in half after he dropped it.

"Uh...let's just head back home," Zim said quickly.

"Can you lift up a truck?" Dib asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"I'll lift you and toss you if you don't cram it!"

_I'll give you the biggest headache of your measly life, if you dare hurt him. _

Who asked you?! Zim snapped at the War God mentally. Zim could almost see his other half giving a smug smirk at Zim's snapping, that only made Zim feel more bristled that Zimalyon was so full of himself; both cut from the same lovely thread of pride and ego. Once Zim opened the door to his base, he was confused by the Irken Emergency broadcast being on, the announcer speaking with a retired Tallest, Komb, beside him. Dib looked at Zim, hoping for an explanation but Zim let out a sigh as if to say "I have no idea, don't ask me". Dib could barely read modern Irken, but he covered his mouth at the footage taken from an earlier broadcast of Purple having his PAK impaled by a pipe.

"Ohh fuck…!" Dib moaned in mortification, "W-was that really one of your-?"

Zim turned the TV off, changing it to a different channel so Gir could have his silly shows. He looked at Dib who looked pale as a sheet, "If Komb is there as a temporary leader, then yes, my Tallest are injured. Irk can't control by itself without a leader; we'd panic, but Komb is much too old. I don't know how long he has."

"How old is he?"

"300 by human years, give or take. He's seen a lot and is highly revered, but he has heart and lung problems; Komb at the helm is just a band-aid over a large open wound. If my Tallest don't return, then Irk shall truly unravel…" Zim explained solemnly.

"What will happen to your people?" Dib asked sitting down.

"As long as the Control Brains are working fine, my people should last!" Zim answered optimistically.

"I mean what will happen if you lost your leaders and your Control Brains?"

Zim refused to answer.

¡NASA PLACE! was picking up weird readings across their boards, drone cameras seemed to be glitching; telescopes and satellites were picking up something big from across the many light-years of the distant sky sea. They at first thought it was space debris or even an asteroid, but surveying the camera photos and reading over the monitors painted a different picture. The object made no sense in its structure, it was about as big as Earth but the base of it was flat and horizontal, with a castle on top of being carried by wings and gears at the bottom. This problem was brought to the experts, and calls ended up busy, it wasn't just ¡NASA PLACE! calling in about the foreign space object, every space research facility and aeronautical administration caused the phone lines to be flooded. Everyone was asking the same question in the end, whether to each other or the line representative to the White House and country leaders: what is it?

"It's just Lossy Compression, or data bending," Professor Membrane answered his phone calls, sounding rather annoyed that he had to get out a dozen phones out and connect them, delaying his research to play operator, "Please stop calling me, I am very busy right now! I'm not the only scientific expert on the roster! _Shut up! _Oh, uh, not you...that other guy. Wait, who was I talking to prior?!" Gaz peeked into her father's lab, disturbed by the ruckus of phones ringing that interrupted her video games.

"Dad, you okay? You're loud enough to wake up the dead," Gaz replied.

"Hello daughter, um, well...I could be better. I've been getting calls all afternoon! You mind by grabbing one of these phones and-?"

"Dad, I don't handle people."

Professor Membrane sighed, "Of course. As you can see, it's going to take a while to ease troubled minds. A massive camera bug is putting everyone in a frenzy, next thing you would expect is a distress signal from an alien or something," he joked before the alarm of his cameras went off, blaring loudly that Gaz covered her ears with herself palms, "It never ends for me...not to worry, I'll handle it. Did you need anything?"

"No. Just wanted to check up on you, that's all," Gaz sighed, before leaving back upstairs. She went outside after turning on the burglar alarm and pulled out her VampPiggy Ultimate; a little walk wouldn't hurt before dinner, and she had to admit, it felt dull without Dib bugging her about the paranormal or Zim. Gaz noticed a bright light from above that illuminated the entire town, before an object in the sky landed so hard in an empty lot covered by countless shrubbery that it left a crater. The impact caused grass to burn, bushes were empty charred skeletons and there were cracks on the sidewalk. Gaz put her game back, rushing over to what looked like a makeshift ship. She kicked the handle and pulled, the door coming off its hinges as she got a good look at the occupant inside it; her eyes widened in shock, and a gasp escaped her lips, noticing the familiar purple uniform, boots with a hoof tip and curled antenna.

"Tak?"


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Gaz hadn't seen Tak in years, with her ship still held up in Dib's garage as another means for transport; she just came to the logical conclusion that she was lost in space, or died after their last encounter; to see Tak in her dirty uniform with Mimi still just in parts was jarring. Gaz started to wonder how long she was adrift in the aimless sea of stars, but she snapped out of it, once Tak started groaning. Gaz carried her and set her on the couch, examining her body. Thank God, no bruises, only minor scratches. Tak's antenna twitched when Gaz gave a light touch to check them, causing the Irken to be jolted awake, and hissing like an angry cat. Gaz didn't budge though. She quirked an eyebrow and said dryly, "Oh, you finally decided to wake up." Tak glared at her and looked around, wondering if this was an awful dream.

"You're that purple demon who sprayed soda at me!" Tak yelled.

Gaz rolled her eyes, shaking her head, "Yes, six years ago...are you _really _hung up on that?"

"Six y…" Tak's voice trailed off, "It can't be six years!"

Gaz looked at her, confused, "And _why?"_

"I was only gone for a whole month! Wh...when did time accelerate so quickly?!"

"Whoa, calm down, Tak. You're not making any sense. Yes, it's been six years, my brother and I are now teenagers; what the hell do you mean by time accelerating and you being gone for just a month?"

Tak gave a half broken smile, as if the madness of reality had broken what she thought, "You...you weren't there...so you couldn't have seen it. I don't know how I got there, but I much prefer Dirt over where I went. I felt like I landed in a war zone, the stench was awful, bodies laid in piles with thorns being grown out of their bodies…" Tak let out a whimper, "I saw spirits...I think they were...marching into some sort of mechanical tower. I hid as well as I could and camped as I smelled every flesh and bone burning, that black smoke replaced the clouds, and the screams echoed all night and day; and that bloody castle! Even just looking at it, my body started bleeding...n-not from my eyes, but my stalks and nails! I think the castle tried to kill me!"

"Were you on a planet?"

"_Planet?!" _Tak snarled, "What _planet _functions this way?! You just proved that it wasn't by telling me it's been six years." Tak was never one to cry, but she broke into sobs. She was once so prideful and confident, but now she was reduced to sounding like a madwoman.

Gaz was startled, and unnerved by her reaction. She drew her attention to Tak's gloves, "Um...may I see it?" Gaz asked. Tak flinched but obliged, painfully pulling off her leather gloves that made a crackling noise at the tip. Tak's nails had drying blood, it was a dark purple and her nails looked a bit cracked; it was like her body was fighting against her.

"My feet are worse…" Tak lamented.

"I don't need to see it," Gaz replied, holding back her urge to vomit.

"I...used to find old children's books on Planet Dirt. Planet Dirt didn't start out as it was, it was once a thriving metropolis, almost an Arcadia in its glory days. The childrens books detailed a...a group of sorts on a red cloud; a knight who was loyal and fought for his people, the jester who lives for his own gain, the king with no eyes, the queen with a sadistic grin, and a whole other bloody roster of subjects. The castle I saw in that book, was where I went…" Tak explained, "I thought...I thought these were just my people's fairytale...to make sense of what was happening; but it's true."

Gaz sighed, "Tak, you're still not explaining very well. Um, hold on, I can get you a mug of coffee and a creamer." Tak's face curled in disgust.

"Bleh," she gagged, "After what _I've _eaten in that hellish landscape, I'm in no mood for coffee; something sugary to cleanse my palate, or something sweet."

Gaz shrugged, "I can get you fruit punch or soda. I mean, Zim leaves soda cans on the floor of his house sometimes so, I figured you would…"

"_ZIM?!" _Tak shouted, "That little rabid puppy is far more worse than I thought!" Gaz just handed her a glass of fruit punch, thinking it was just Tak usual ranting, "He's going to bring death to the universe." Gaz now had her focus on Tak, unsure if she was joking, but Gaz could feel her tone and how honest it was.

"Death?"

"To everything...I think you know better than I do, what must be done. We have to kill Zim. It's either him and his estranged abomination family or us."

Gaz's mouth hung in shock before she regained composure, "You can't kill Zim! My brother...my brother is attached to the idiot to the point of obsession." Tak slammed her glass, and glared up at her, she was in a silent furor; if she had the energy she would have attacked the purple brat, but her energy was spent on attempting to survive. Tak tried slapping her in rage, but her swipe was too slow and Gaz moved her head.

"_He _could be your bloody uncle for all I care!" Tak snapped, "I prefer not dying because your brother has a crush on that moron!"

Gaz winced, Tak is still Tak surprisingly, she thought staring back at the Irken with a leer regarding Dib's feelings towards Zim. "Tak…maybe it's best you lay down for a while," Gaz suggested. She didn't want to bring up Dib when Tak was agitated, and more Tak snarled and showed her teeth like an angry guard dog; she just had a deep feeling she was using up her energy even more at this rate. Tak scoffed, but didn't argue. Gaz offered to clean any wounds or dirt but Tak snapped and slammed the door in her face. "You better not be sleeping on my bed with those damn boots on!" Gaz called before turning the knob a few times; great, the other angry alien locked her out of her own bedroom. Gaz nearly jumped three feet when she heard footsteps, only to be Professor Membrane lugging an absurdly big metal suitcase.

"Daughter, I'm sorry. It turns out my duties are needed by the president," Membrane sighed, "If your brother comes, tell him it was urgent."

"Yeah...sure," Gaz replied plainly, "Dad, you and Dib hardly ever talk anymore; if your meeting or something is over, or like, you get a break...give him a text or call?"

Membrane gave a soft expression underneath his lab coat; although his mouth was covered by the coat collar, his goggles looked like he was trying to find the right words; a struggle of a busy single parent who had to juggle his children with his passion, "I'll try. Uh, help me get this to the car, will you?" Gaz helped him with the suitcase, hauling it to the back seat instead of the trunk. Membrane added on safety straps and activated a bulletproof barrier by pressing a remote on his wrist device.

"Can I ask what's in there?" Gaz pointed to the suitcase.

"Stuff, important stuff, daughter."

Gaz groaned, of course her dad would keep such important information confidential, "Just remember to call…!" she yelled as Membrane's black car disappeared in the distance.

_What in Hell's Bells name are you doing, dawdling as we inch closer to the steep ledge off into the abyss where no light, but red smoke may reach?_

Zimalyon was in a bad mood because of what happened, Zim forcefully regained himself, instead of being completely one with his War God self. Zimalyon felt it was the biggest insult, but this act of pacing back and forth as Dib rested on the couch was beyond inexcusable. Zimalyon could only shout and yell as Zim felt the ringing in his head, and the ripples like white noise bouncing off small square walls made him grunt in pain. Zim had reached a dead end in his thoughts, but Zimalyon kept nudging him to speak with Dib. Zim had something that these petty blooded sky mongers wantrd; Dib was his wild card but he had to use him wisely and respect him, that's what Zimalyon was barking about. Zim couldn't help but think there was something more to it, but Zimalyon would just laugh at him for being so nosy.

Zim sat next to Dib, observing his exhausted slumber, before tapping his shoulder causing the young man to groan. Dib raised himself up, groggily looking up at Zim.

"Zim, I really need sleep. Can you save what's on your mind for later?" Dib sounded half asleep, he was yawning out his words instead of speaking.

Zim sighed, "I don't know what to do next, Dib. I need your visions; you're something these beings want because you could see...see what shall come." Dib looked conflicted.

"Xaxul, then what happened with Xaxul…"

"Yes, he wanted your life!" Zim said shaking his shoulders, "He wanted to get you for this reason!" Dib looked like he blanked out briefly due to sleepiness before it struck him like cold water, "You're...you're like Gir, but somehow...that eye of yours and what Juxteen left in you…"

"Oh fuck, oh fuck…!" Dib was justifiably panicked, now understanding his role more clearly, as if the shock of what Juxteen spoke about was a game of chess, "Then Jux, what Juxteen said—"

"Dib, you need to take a deep breath before you start to go into hysterics."

"The fourth eye, oh fuck me, why me?!"

Zim took his hands, gripping them tightly and subconsciously did exhales and inhales in front of Dib. Dib followed Zim, his body calming but his nerves were still standing on end. This was too much of a responsibility; saving the world was fine, but the entire universe and these _things _were trailing after him? Dib never felt so small, he once accepted that space was larger than anticipated, but much like every human; he never knew how deep. Dib rarely coward but in the face of all this, he suddenly wished he could wrap this unwanted gift and give it to someone else. Zim gently felt Dib's knuckles, startling Dib by such tenderness, such as the time Zim had his arms around his waist. "I'm sorry this happened to you…" Zim said, it was all he could say. Dib sighed.

"You want to use my sight…?"

Zim nodded, letting his own sigh escape him, "Did you dream?"

"As much as I could. I didn't like it," Dib admitted, "Well, I guess I _technically_ don't like my premonition dreams but this one...it felt like forever, you know?"

_Premonitions don't adhere to the time or space this veil is used to, in his river, it feels more like quick sand beneath his feet when he's weightless._

Zim swallowed from Zimalyon's explanation, "Dib, you have to tell me what you saw," he commanded, but Dib was quivering his lips, "Please Dib! You're the only person I can rely on right now!" Dib slammed his knees in frustration.

"Get me a pen, and paper."

_They say the diviners are dead, gone extinct into dust, nay, here is one right now on the pale blue gem cascading in madness and in filth…_

Zim had heard stories of Irken diviners that stretched many decades before Irk was modernized, Vortian's had their as did other alien species when the planets were young, they all must have been blessed or cursed by their fourth eye to even see that place where Zimalyon and Juxteen came from; but now an earthling in the wake of Irk's modern era was scribbling and writing feverishly onto an empty school notebook that Zim never used, writing in characters thought to be long buried. Dib was in a long trance, hypnotized by remembering the details. Dib spread the papers on him floor, before assembling them like a puzzle, it was like a twisted mural that was birthed by madness; a black flaming castle caused the land to be barren as if it was more like Mars than on earth, and humans were lined up in a crowd as they were brought in like cattle, extra details explained gruesome punishments of humans throwing humans out of the windows of the castle, impalement, cannibalizing, and burning at the stake till the castle consumed them entirely, leaving nothing.

Dib stepped back, his hands covered in ink and his fingers a bit scratched and bloody, as he looked mortified to see this vision laid before him. "I gotta...I just need to…" Dib took Zim's base elevator to the bathroom to clean his hands. Zim observed the drawings, noticing ancient Irken was scribbled in areas.

"Zimalyon, do you know what these mean?"

_The end, death, of course the garden of rot...Zim, have you wondered why most earlier alien civilizations have disappeared or vanished, leaving but bones in the wake? You can thank this lower God for it. It's not a castle, it's a living eater...it cloaks itself, drives the planet insane, and is the worst example of a scavenger. Kastron, the castle and glutton._

"D...did it kill the inhabitants on Mars?"

_Kill?! They slaughtered each other while Kastron ate them. What Dib is feeling, is what this earth is feeling; prey animals scattering for shelter as their demise reaches for them...Kastron might be a head higher than Xaxul but both are violent idiots, these humans are mere pigs ready to be eaten; so I suggest...we best kill Kastron from the inside._

Oh but even if it meant just flying to it, that wouldn't be so easy. That flying thing wouldn't be so easy as to just land on the damn castle; it wasn't like landing his voot cruiser on top of a space station, Kastron looked like it was a living organism but some oars hinted at the wings also told there were occupants on it. Zim wanted to ask Zimalyon about Kastron but he had fell silent as a separate monitor above the TV started to play a patriotic Irken march from the earlier years, and in Irken scrolled horizontally: **ALL INVADERS ARE RELIEVED OF THEIR DUTY, RETURN TO THE MOTHER PLANET, THE FINAL ACT IS HERE**.

Zim scowled, what prankster at the board was pulling off apocalyptic propaganda just to scare the invaders back to Irk? He shivered slightly; this was just bait to crowd the Irken population into a single spot. There was no mention these would be broadcast to every invader in their designated planet. Zim and Zimalyon knew by the prick in the same heart they carried, Ryda was manipulating for the end of Irk.

Zim scoffed at the horrible timing, so this is what Kastron was being used for; no dog can capture two foxes, that's how that one earth saying went. "What on Irk do I do?" Zim muttered in frustration, holding his head as he wracked over the situation.

_Is the earth monarchy readying their weapons?_

Zim was too wrapped up in his mental bubble that he had almost forgotten that the earth had cameras, and satellites in orbit and around space, and rovers. If Kastron was absurdly big, bigger than Xaxul, they were scrambling about how to deal with this anomaly. Zim could almost hear the arguments of it being an exposure, space debris or a piece of space rock. Humans argued more than doing half a damn, at least Dib saved their backward ass more than once, as did Zim but he was still motivated to conquer the earth. "They must be...the city feels too quiet," Zim sighed, "As much as I hate asking for help...I can't do this alone. I'm heading to Irk to get some extra cal...men. Your archaic speech is rubbing off on _me!_"

_Are you seriously blaming me for that? Regardless, if you must leave, then take the Prophet with you. Kastron is bigger than Xaxul but he is mindless and stupid. It takes three days for his body to turn, and he's slower than a snail. He is a boil, a plague sore, an embossed carbuncle in my corrupted blood._

Zim sighed, going to the lab where Dib had left to, only to find him slumped over in the bathroom; his mouth was still wet from regurgitating and he had his back against the shower, still in a daze. Zim knelt down next to him, feeling Dib's forehead, realizing the human was running a temperature. "Zim...my head hurts…" Dib wheezed.

Zim gave a small chuckle, "My head isn't doing well either, Dib human, because I have a toy soldier inside of it."

_Mooncalf!_

"That's besides the point," Zim said clearing his throat "Dib, that living castle in space is headed to earth, like Xaxul it intends to destroy us, but something is also happening on Irk. We're going to Irk to get extra help, and you'll be safer with us...um, me."

"What about Gir?"

"Gir will handle on his own, they don't want him, they want us…" Zim helped him up, "It might buy your precious planet sometime while that crazy organic castle is on its way. We best hurry before we—" Zim was caught off guard when the vent above sprung open and Tak attempted to strike him with her limbs, but Zim fought back, their limbs clashing against each other sounded like metal needles in a dance. Zim was pinned to the floor to the other Irken, but he struggled, grasping his gloves around the ends and gripping them. Tak grabbed his antenna making him grunt in pain. Dib ran and tried to pry Tak off only for Tak to push him aside. "Wasn't expecting to see you back so soon…" Zim teased.

"You wipe that smirk off your face, Zimalyon, I know what you are and what you _intend _to do!" Tak snarled.

"I'm not Zima—"

"Doesn't matter! Same soul, same brain, same blood thirsty monster!" Tak yelled.

_Who is this screeching little harpy? I certainly never met her. I blame my slumber in your brain as I have no recollection of this violet banshee._

Not now, this is not the time for your snide commentary! Zim thought before glaring up at Tak, "Let me go, Tak, I'm giving you a warning now that if you don't...I'll break these," Tak only took it up as a challenge and tried to push the limbs as far as they could go, but Zim was crunching the metallic spider tips as if he was crunching a soda can, before they snapped cleared off; like a metallic pencil with the graphite point and in mid writing it skidded on the paper, only the limb bounced on the floor before hitting the wall. Tak was speechless.

"You...you broke...broke it…"

"I have no intention of destroying the universe, I want to stop it as much as you do," Zim said calmly with aggression in his tone of voice, "Now get off me."

Tak reluctantly obliged, still not wavering her glare on Zim as he got up from the floor, "At least you sound less stupid," she snapped, "That doesn't mean I trust you or your big headed lover—"

"_It's not like that!"_ Dib interrupted, his cheeks hot, "B-but...anyway, we're heading to Irk to recruit more help; a big castle God thingy that drives people mad and...eats everything...well, everyone is on the way, and Irk isn't holding up any better." Tak looked skeptical.

"Not holding any better?" Tak repeated, crossing her arms, "What about the Tallest?"

"Hospitalized, ex-Tallest Komb is at the helm now temporarily," Zim replied.

"Um, the Control Brains, any news on them?" Zim just silently shrugged, "Bloody useless…" Tak grumbled, "Can you at least tell me where my ship is?" Dib looked embarrassed, shuffling his feet trying to find words but Tak already saw his body language. Tak grabbed his collar down so Dib was at her eye level.

"It's, err, still in my garage...it's fixed though! You can fly in it! It's a little sassy though."

Tak rolled her eyes, "Yes Dib, I _am _a little sassy. Idiot."

"What did you have in mind for your ship?" Zim asked. Tak groaned in frustration; she didn't think that far. She just planned to kill Zim and leave. Tak looked at Zim, irritation plastered on her face, and Zim shook his head. He wasn't at all surprised, Tak might have had more planning but she was equally impulsive. She wasn't aware of cracks or blind spots. "Stay on earth then, keep an eye on the humans while we sort things out," Zim said.

"Is that a request or an order?"

"Take it as you want, I'm in no mood to argue with you," Zim said, taking Dib's hand as they followed to Zim's ship. Dib quietly sat in the back area of the ship, buckling himself in. This wasn't a romantic stargaze, or a travel to view the seas clashing above the atmosphere with burning stars. Dib actually started to feel sick and nauseous the moment the ship went off the dock. The change in atmosphere just made his fever worse, and his head was changing within. Dib wanted to not do this anymore, his body barely felt like his own, and sleeping was painful, but Dib reluctantly continued. He told himself this was duty; to protect his family, his home, earth and the universe.


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

By the time Zim landed on Irk with Dib, some of the population was already preparing for the birth of the end of Irk, civilians, staff and drones were taking what luggage they could on their backs and arms and took space trains, ships and cabs and left into the galaxy like boats fading into the watery distance. Dib coughed harshly, he had a bad ride from Point A to Point B, vomiting into puke bags, cleaning his mouth out with some sort of hygienic mouthwash, and Zim making him clean his hands with a decontamination area of the cruiser made the ride excruciating. Zim felt like he had no time to sort his personal feelings out, because Dib needed his health to be looked after; Zim took Dib to the nearest motel in the civilian drone city and laid him on the bed. Zim envied Dib that at least his ability was relied on resting, it was amusing that Dib was now a bigger sleepyhead than before. Zim would have found this hilarious if their lives weren't on the line, and on the verge of snapping by a wild wheel.

_Ah, how the mighty have fallen, the Irkens are feeling what the earth is feeling. They feel it down in their roots, we are the few who are different, spitting on my mother's holy feet. Astra inclinant, sed non obligant. _

"Yes, please Zimalyon, do prattle on with your Latin," Zim said sarcastically, "I need my homework done."

_Here's one for you then: curris, stupes, satagis, tanquam mus in matella; as the young ones say, Google it. _

Dib let out a soft groan as he finally sat up, the lingering taste of puke was still fresh in his throat. He felt like he ate something rotten and regurgitated it to the point his stomach acid felt painful; he was rarely one to get motion sickness from flying on a spaceship, but the sky of space itself was hammering into Dib's head, trying to break him. "What's...what's going on?" he moaned, "Where are we?" Zim hastily made him drink a small canteen of drinking water. They had no time for questions as Kastron was no doubt turning direction, but it was still a small window as earth's military was preparing for it; three days wasn't enough and Kastron would charge after earth like a starving animal and greedily eat the humans down to a bloody banquet. Zim helped Dib stand up.

"Irk is going through an exodus right now. That only makes things harder for us," Zim said, "We need to see Tallest Komb and ask for any assistance to help the earth against Kastron." Dib looked skeptical, as if Zim said pigs could fly.

"Will _Komb _listen to you?" Dib asked.

Zim looked just as doubtful, the Tallest might've been older and wiser, but Elder Irkens were stubborn and wild; they were like ancient buildings that stood the test of time and didn't fall easily, if Zim wanted Komb to listen, it was going to end in a screaming match.

"Well, we can't just end our ride here," Zim replied and Dib reluctantly followed him out, some Irkens had stopped and stared. Their gazes on Zim with shock while some burned with hatred, but the crowd became apart as Zim stepped; it made Dib recall the stories of Moses parting the Red Sea, but instead it was Zim parting his kinds crowd due to whatever aura he gave off.

"What's _he _doing here?"

"Zim is nothing but a harbinger!"

"You bad omen, go back to the planet you were sent to!"

Zim pulled Dib close and ignored the jeers, some Irkens threw cans and rocks at the two but Zim shielded Dib, not minding he was being pelted by the angry crowd as they made their way inside of the palace. Komb was in the lobby, coughing and hacking as he discussed with military Irkens about the temporary ruling and plans to advance barriers. The guards noticed Zim and reacted negatively, swinging their spears, but Zim grabbed the blades and bent them like rubber. "You're not my enemy, so I suggest you stand down," Zim said calmly. Zim kicked them both down and walked to Komb with Dib; as expected, the old Irken looked ruffled.

"Ah, what an inconvenience, the government and social balance of Irk is downright _collapsing _in front of our eyes, and you decide to drop in for a pleasant visit," Komb spat.

"I'm not...we're not here for lunch, my Tallest, earth is in trouble with a floating castle which is not only sentient, it can drive anything mad to the point of murderous intentions and cannibalism! If we don't destroy it first, it's going to destroy earth and destroy us!"

Komb looked unimpressed, "Really Zim? Resorting to old ancient Irken folk tales to get weapons? You truly are a bad liar!"

Dib became agitated, Komb was stubborn and even worse than an ox, "He's telling you the truth, sir! Our planets won't last through the year with that thing on its way! We need every Irken soldier's on some of the strongest, most powerful ship's to slaughter Kastron out of the damn—" Komb put his claws over Dib's mouth, his silver eyes looking glassy.

"_Kastron?"_ Komb repeated, "As in Kastronlunic? How does an alien outside of Irk know that name?"

"He was in my dreams," Dib replied, "This eye saw it, as did my fourth eye." Komb stumbled back, falling on his suit, as if a revelation struck him so hard that it left him winded. He was now staring at Zim and Dib with lenses as wide as plates.

"Nyein, nyein, nyein!" Komb blurted, "Prooctul ch'kal!"

"What's he speaking in old Irken tongue for?" Dib asked Zim. Zim sighed.

"He's one of the last oldest generations of Irkens," Zim said, "He's in shock."

Komb slammed his gauntlet and pointed to Zim, his eyes blazing, "You! I've heard and read stories about you, yet I never thought in all my lifetime that I would be in the same room as this monster!" Komb stood up and gripped his claws around Zim's neck, "_Zim _was bad enough, now we have Zimalyon on the planet! Get him out Zim! I need to speak with that ruthless son of a bitch!"

"Don't talk to Zim like that!" Dib yelled, "He's trying to save you and—"

"You stay out of this, prophet!" Komb shouted, "This is Irken affairs!"

Zim's expression changed as he let out an ominous growl, there was no warning as Zimalyon forced himself to prepare to speak with the older Tallest; like a demon raising his head from being below the waters. "Don't insult him like that, especially in front of me, Komb!" Zim snarled, "His affairs are our affairs!" Komb smacked Zim with his gauntlet, the blunt side striking so hard that Zim's forehead was bleeding, "Rather distasteful of a government figure to show such brutality…"

"You're one to talk, Zimalyon! You've cost this empire it's population, not just since Zim was born, but as Invader Fir, Kuls, Ruben and Xical!" Komb boomed. Zim rolled his eyes.

"I remember my past bodies...poor heirs that were not my true half," Zim glared, "You summoned me to scold me?"

"No…" Komb sighed, "I will not follow your demands unless I know that you're not lying; so we're going to take you to meet someone who you haven't seen in decades, you remember Fukuam, don't you? The first control brain, _master control brain_."

"Ah, Fukuam'der, I am surprised to hear he hasn't died yet."

"You shall meet his gaze," Komb said and looked to Dib, gesturing him to come with. It was hard to tell if Komb just wanted him to come because he was important, or he just wanted Zim to not have a fit by excluding him. The three with a couple of guards went to an elevator that was hidden behind a wall and Komb typed in Irken sigils into a monitor, before the elevator shook to life and brought them downwards to the underbelly of the palace, or more precisely, the underbelly of Irk itself; the tunnel leading to the old control brain was wrapped in wires with altars and maintenance workers were keeping an eye on water pressure, while a few pumped in a pink liquid bubbling from a large oxygen tank that was the size of a large water barrel. Dib could hear the soft beeping of a life support system, but once they reached Fukuam, Dib realized they were a symphony of life support monitors attached to the walls pinging in sync that it sounded like just one. Fukuam was undoubtedly the last great grandfather of the Irken control brains, the Irkens could not bear the thought of Fukuam dying in such dark times when guidance was needed, and the machine with multiple eyes with its brain inside of the tank, Fukuam was precious and of value. Dib felt a gasp escape him when Zim had kneeled and bowed in front of the dying brain being held by life support and medication, as if he was a knight bowing before a dying king.

"_ZIMALYON," _Fukuam boomed, an elderly man's voice coming from the twitching muscles, "_After decades of giving me your back, you decide to finally kneel? I am aware of your role in all this, why must you return in front of me, to mock me, are you really so—"_

"I am not here to get into one of our old spats, Fukuam'der," Zim said standing back up, "Kastron is hovering in the skies looking for a bloody banquet. Please give me permission to have an army to fight back against this gluttonous idiot."

"_Permission denied."_

"What?!" Zim exclaimed, "You old piece of muscle fats! The empire is tearing up, Ryda is releasing her subjects including Juxteen, and you're denying me men to kill Kastron?!"

"_I shall give you your men, but you have to earn your permission...remove your rag so you may expose your back. I will make you bleed on the floor; I will decide when you have bled enough, this is our law, you will abide."_

Dib scowled, and looked at Komb, justifiably aghast at the suggestion of a whipping just to get ship's to fight for them. It was barbaric and Komb was silent, not in a hint of concern, but the older Irken looked on with disgustingly sweet satisfaction as Zim pulled off his uniform and was placed and shackled by leather as Fukuam railed chords onto Zim's back. Zim bit his lip as the pain enveloped him like fire; Dib couldn't take a second minute of this, "Stop this! Stop this!" Dib yelled, "Tallest Komb stop Fukuam! Zim is in pain enough, isn't that…?!"

Komb glared, "You're merely nothing to us, boy, prophet or not, these are our laws." Dib clenched his fists as Zim's grunts of pain echoed through the entire room, the other Irkens had their lenses twinkling at seeing Zim be whipped by Fukuam. They were no better than humans who lived off the sight of suffering as if it was a fine meal. Dib felt his boots become heavy and his fourth eye burned with intensity. This was for self satisfaction; they were doing what Ryda wanted, no mercy and the pain she'll give in return would just as painful. Zim's blood reeked more pungent than the usual taste of copper pennies, it smelled like burning rust, and a musk sour aftertaste touched everyone's tongues; that stench was enough to light a fire inside of Dib, he moved in front of Zim with a swift speed and held his ground before clenching the metal chords like he was wrangling two serpents. Zim slumped in exhaustion, in a green pool underneath him. Komb furrowed in irritants.

"_Blasphemous!_" the old Tallest yelled, "_Utterly blasphemous!"_

"I could care less about blasphemy when you and Fukuam are being big dumbasses and making things worse!" Dib retorted, "If you don't stop, I'm going to pull these tentacles out from this brain fucker!"

"_LET GO OF ME HUMAN! I WON'T HESITATE TO KILL YOU NO MATTER MY AGE!" _

"Y-you know…" Dib stuttered, feeling the adrenaline pumping through him that it was making him dizzy, "Maybe Zim and I should just leave Zimalyon to do his duty! Let him open space and let him put revenge on you—all of you! Is that what you want out of this?! This is what Ryda wants! _Ryda wants Irk to commit hurting Zimalyon because it justifies your end!" _

"You shut your mouth!" Komb bellowed, "This is all nonsense! N-n-nothing but old galactic fairy tales!"

Zim glared, "You sure changed your sweet tune; you looked happy seeing me being whipped by the master control brain," he slowly got up, and walked towards Fukuam, "This brain remembers who I am, and so do you. You can't deny it now, you and Fukuam agreed to this just because you think this stops everything. My death does not stop the death of the universe; it is _my _spear, _my _birthright. I am the executioner of everything!" Dib shivered.

"Wait, wait…" Dib held his head, trying to absorb the situation, "I thought you said you weren't Zimalyon, now you are?" Dib soon came to the revelation that the Irken before him was a different Zim; they were in the same soul yet weren't perfect halves, Dib could only see it as a coin with heads and tails; one was always there, wherever it landed, it was a different design but connected by the metal.

"I thought you caught on about this," Zimalyon said, "The universal equivalent to soul mates; not exactly like lovers, but...complicated by human words. Zim and I are the same, I guess you can say he was birthed by my chaos; you can't have a tank without a gun, or you can't have a sword without a blade. Zim was..._is_ my sword and my gun."

"But that's...that's cruel isn't it?"

"What is?"

"You're...I mean, isn't this like possession?" Dib said, horrified.

"It's not possession if I've always been there, silly human," Zimalyon replied, "Think of it, more closer to, past lives...but to be more specific, Zim is a demigod because of me, but that's by human terms."

"_Let the human question this revelation and he too will slip further into madness! Zimalyon, I command you to—"_

Zimalyon gripped Fukuam's tentacles, and made the metal wriggle as if he was toying with a large worm, "About my men! I spilled more than three puddles worth of blood for your hedonism, now get me pilots en route for earth."

"_Barbaric star savage…" _Fukuam growled.

Zimalyon kicked Fukuam's computer monitor, causing the system to grunt in pain from just the kick alone, "Is that a yes or no, Fukuam'der?" Zimalyon barked, "I can cut you from your life system or yank these bothersome limbs off, or...I can do both, if you _annoy _me enough." Zimalyon was cut off guard when the back of his head was struck with a heavy cart used for carrying the control brain's medication. Zimalyon went flying and impacted; he slammed against the life support monitors. Komb caught his breath in aggression, if he were human, his face would have been tomato red with rage but instead it was a hot blue. He pointed his gauntlets to outside the tunnel in a furor that only elders and seniors wielded, a sour sickly smell came from his body as Komb's face contorted.

"You destroy Fukuam—you destroy _me!" _Komb bellowed, "I shall give your comrades, just get out! **OUT! **Before I decide to order my guards to kill you both! Out with you! _Out! Out! Out! OUT!" _

There was a downside for being a God inside of a mortal, God's felt pain, whether it was metaphorical or real, but to feel it wrapped in mortal wool was a heavy burden even to the most immortal. Even if you drank ambrosia, you could still feel the pain of blood loss or your chest bursting open to give birth to more deities. Zimalyon felt his head was sore and pained, meanwhile his back felt like needles were stinging his skin, but he fell silent when he felt he was on a bed and his body being wrapped with bandages; since Zim's body was almost Dib's height, he could feel the gentleness of tending to his wounds, even if Zimalyon similarly hated the burning feeling of antiseptic; he much preferred being drunk to numb the pain, or even bite a coin, but with Zim asleep within this time. This would be a nice small hour to be with Dib privately, Zim had been hogging him, it felt unfair. Dib looked apologetic at his messy attempt to tie up a gauze, before settling it with a heavy medical tape.

"Sorry...I'm not the best nurse," Dib said.

Zimalyon sighed, "I went through amputations, and trench fever in my past decades. You've done much better than those that were assigned to me; I lost count of my deaths." Dib froze a bit, remembering this was another side of Zim. Dib sat down next to him after putting the first aid kit away. "You look like you never saw me before; I guess in soul but not in body. I don't know how Zim even manages…"

"H-how long?"

Zimalyon was taken aback, "What?"

"How long have you been within Zim?!" Dib yelled, his voice cracking, "I just...I don't know how to take this...a-at first I thought maybe Zim was being confused for another individual, but then you and him kept switching, and it's just—! Fuck! Why did it have to be this way?!" Zimalyon stroked his cheek.

"Zim and I are the same...are you scared he's going to leave you?"

"I just don't want you to…"

Zimalyon shook his head, "You're so naive and dense, have you ever broken a plate in half? That's the best way I can describe it to you as the details are too complex to be comprehended. I think I put in more than enough explanations to who I am to Zim; but who listens to deity known for making a river of blood?" Dib rubbed his neck, feeling guilt and confusion but yes, Zimalyon did his best to explain in the simplest ways he possibly could. Dib just refused to accept it; growing up with the paranormal, he thought it was possession but…

"Are you scared of me?" Zimalyon asked. Dib felt his brain go blank from such a question.

"A...a bit…" Dib replied, his tone coming out as a hesitant squeak.

Zimalyon chuckled, "Yet you scared Komb more than I did. No one on Irk expects a foreigner from another planet to rebel against a control brain."

"He could've killed you. I...I don't know what came over me, I just felt so heavy like stones were in my shoes and I just...h-held it...I couldn't…" Dib stammered, "A-am I becoming less human? I still feel human, but what I did—please Zimalyon, what's happening? I just have visions, right?!" Zimalyon stroked his head, noticing the human was on the verge of hysterics, "I'm just a prophet! I should be only seeing premonitions, I shouldn't be—!"

"Answer me, human, did Juxteen touch you?" Zimalyon asked softly.

"Yes...on my head…"

"He said you interrupted his feeding part way through."

"Yes…"

Zimalyon felt his head, "You humans, have a more complex brain system than us. I imagine not only is your damaged eye and the dark blood from Juxteen is giving you premonitions. I think you are becoming something like me; but we won't know till we get to that," he smiled at Dib, "If you care about the humanity in you, that compassion. It will be kept." Dib clutched his head, having tears fall onto the bed cloth. It must have been relief, the weight let go and Dib finally cracked and broke into tears. He was terrified of losing his humanity, as if one morning he'd wake up as a monster like Gregor Samsa. Zimalyon laid Dib down to rest on the bed, Dib felt sleep envelope him almost instantly. Dib felt his feet grow light within the dream realm fogged by red clouds and twisted castles.

Red was in no mood for papers once Lard Nar finally sent his set of terms to the hospital. Red barely found them worth it once he saw _release my people _and _join us in battle _were written in a Vortian cursive. Red at best, was empty and exhausted, his paranoia was played with because of Ryda. He was on the surface of a planet, why couldn't she just smite him through the hospital window? Red never felt so miserable and depressed, the lack of sleep was taking a toll on him as a young adult Irken. Red looked over at the terms, putting his claws around it, but he felt terrified to crumple it. Damn it, he couldn't just check mark no, and wallow in this bleach smelling hall prison. Red was the Tallest, the leader of Irk. When was the last time he did anything significant?! Red let out a frustrated moan before his nurse came in.

"You have a call."

"T-Tallest Purple?"

"No, the Vortian that visited you last. He says it's urgent."

Red sighed, caving in. He didn't understand why Lard Nar would be contacting him, of all times. Red pressed a button on his bed remote control and the TV changed to a transmission call. Lard Nar had his goggles glowing against a black backdrop. Red was indifferent to see this, his exhaustion numbing any sense of remark or retort till Lard Nar opened his mouth.

"Am I spooky yet?"

"No," Red replied bluntly.


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

_The Resisty's Term of Contract _

_Tallest Red must adhere to the terms offered, or it will never be brought up again. The former will agree to what the latter will be provided, and a ship will be provided to pick them up to assist in the galactic Viva La Resistance;_

_1.A: Release the remaining Vortians from prison; my people can migrate to a different planet in order to continue our work. We are no longer an ally, but don't wish to be hunted._

_1.B: Listen to what Zim tells you no matter how wild; _

_2.A: You will stop laying on your lazy butt and fight with us on a ship_

_X_

_X Lardicoddus Nartum _

"Sorry about that, I ran out of paper," Lard Nar apologized on the monitor, but Red shook his head not caring about that. He was still in disbelief that he was going to rely on Zim, of all the aliens in the galaxy…"As I mentioned before, this won't be brought up again, and we _are _running short on time. Gin Tonix told me that more activity has been seen in space, and these red waves are getting more intense with each passing day. We...probably don't have a year, chap; so, as best start now and fight. Now, do you understand why I need you? Get off your lazy ass for once." Red was silent, angry that Lard Nar spoke so bluntly. He hated that a lowly Vortian was barking orders at him, but he had no room to argue, without him or Purple at their helms; it meant that the empire was slowly dying. Komb was a lifeline but for how long? Red gritted his teeth as he wrote down his name in an Irken cursive before putting it through the transporter. Lard Nar beamed.

"Well, I wasn't expecting a yes so quickly!" Lard Nar chuckled.

"Put a sock in it!" Red snapped, "I signed it, now explain to me what you what, you stinky goat."

Lard Nar coughed politely, "Tell me, Red, have you ever rode a military gunship before?"

"Back in training, yeah, but what of it?"

"You're flying one."

Red seethed, "Of course I am," he grumbled. Lard Nar gestured to the gauntlets with his fingers, and Red glared, "What about my gauntlets?!"

"I heard rumors you never really cut off your thumbs," Lard Nar explained, "How in the bloody hell are you going to maneuver around and shoot with weapons that don't work for two fingers?" Oh, his thumbs, no one else on Irk knew about his blasphemy to tradition other than Purple, "Take off your suit now too. I mean you _are _driving." Red placed his gauntlet on the table and unhooked two locks, there was a breath of air and a heavy _clunk. _Red moved his thumb and played with it against his fingers. Lard Nar had a small smile in relief, the universe had a chance, but Red was easy...next was Purple.

Juxteen prowled around the city, dragging two human meals by his hands but was disappointed at how bland they tasted, such a poor tasting snack, they all tasted the same. Good heavens, mortals were absolutely bland shits compared to Dib and Juxteen had to accept he was stuck as a boy, Zimalyon's little love interest. It was irritating, perhaps it was because Dib was weak as a child and Juxteen would've preferred an adult. If he couldn't feed himself, he had to feed his form. "_Ah shi'dalangh!" _Juxteen sighed, throwing the carcasses into two garbage bins and kicking them down a road, "I've had nothing and utterly to do! I don't sense Zimalyon here, he's on another planet and ohh, I'm starving! Humans are either flavorless or too spicy!" he fumed. He began to scurry on the nearby wall, crawling on all fours as he observed the city like a wild lizard, his body twisting like taffy as his eyes bulged, "Ah, but I sense chaos in the air, and the laboratory in particular has a nice _smeeeeeell_."

Professor Membrane struggled putting in a large reactor into a large computer shaped like a scallop shell with wires weaving inside a bulletproof glass; a luminous brightness came from the wires as he tested a holographic shield. He closed the reactor, before pressing a button that released small gun pellets; some of them bounced off the hologram sphere while a few managed to pass through and puncture the glass behind it. Professor Membrane was highly dissatisfied with the result, the probability calculations were off, way off, earth had no chance if it was going to be impacted or assaulted by the large space anomaly. "No, no, this simply isn't going to work!" Professor Membrane fumed, "This shield needs more layers, and needs to be remade!" he contacted Simmons by pressing the dial on his wrist, his frames lit up and he let out a yelp when he noticed in the corner of his eye, was a much younger Dib with a sadistic grin on his face.

"Sir?" Simmons called, "Mister Membrane, is something wrong?"

"Uh...provide more reactors for extra shielding, an apparatus override and a redesign, Simmons."

"Got it, sir!"

Professor Membrane hung up and glared down at the hallucination, his hands to his hips as he towered over the boy. "You're not real!" he snapped, "You're just a side effect caused by carbon monoxide!" Professor Membrane tried swiping his hand only for this young Dib to grab his wrist tightly, the professor flinched in pain as he felt the nerves underneath be clamped like a snake jaw. The vision of Dib smiled more, displaying far too many teeth and Professor Membrane noticed his pupils were goat-like.

"Well, well, well…" Juxteen tutted, "I expected the prophets _father _to be more intimidating than just some lab rat," he smirked, "What's wrong, daddy-kins? Can't face your boy?!"

"You're not my son, and you're not real!" Professor Membrane repeated, more sternly, "I don't know who or what you are, but I must ask you to please leave!"

Juxteen burst into laughter, "The more you shout _I'm not real, _I'm not gonna disappear. I'm not the fucking Tooth Fairy, I'm worse than that; oh, but I'm boring you, aren't I?" Juxteen kicked Professor Membrane in the stomach causing him to slump over in pain, and Juxteen made no hesitation in pouncing. Juxteen placed his hands on Professor Membrane's head and the scientist starting groaning in pain as memories swept through about Dib as if his brain was going through a flush. All those times he turned on Dib while working, they stung, they felt sore, he told himself in the past once he found time that he was going to find time for his precious children; but Dib, Dib really needed to be nurtured. Damn it, it had to take this awful monster to realize Dib was in pain…

I never expected to have children…

"Get off me, you _cur!_"

Juxteen wagged his finger at him, "You're not even a real father at heart, are you? I mean it must hurt being so _infertile, _and your _wife_, I feel more sorry for that pregnant deadbeat than you, daddy-kins. Did it hurt taking the icky bloody pulp out, putting it in jars? Were you sobbing always keeping the umbilical cord in fresh preservation glasses? Ooh, here's a secret I think you can't handle, you _never wanted children, you fuckface double fisted liar!" _Juxteen felt a sadistic excitement when he pushed the right buttons, Professor Membrane snapped and grabbed a syringe off the table, aiming to stab him as his goggles grew foggy with tears, "_Do you REALLY think your SON gives a rats ass at this point? Would he still call you FATHER?" _

"Be quiet! I order you to be quiet!" Professor Membrane yelled in distraught, feeling naked and exposed for his deep secrets that not even his biography covered, "I...I don't want to do this…"

"You say that now," Juxteen smirked, "How many crazy buckets did you let your son rot in?" Professor Membrane felt the syringe drop as his muscles felt weak and a cold shiver went down his spine, Juxteen let out a cruel laugh as he faded into black smoke. Professor Membrane slowly took off his goggles to wipe his tears and grabbing some tissues from his pocket before his fingers grazed against the phone. Remember to call, Professor Membrane echoed Gaz's sentiment mentally and started dialing Dib's number out of fear.

"_Hi this is Dib Membrane! I'm not at my phone right now, please contact me at—"_

"No, no, no…" Professor Membrane was pacing, "He usually answers right away. Why did it have to be now?!" Dib was gone, and Professor Membrane noticed he was out of range which only made it feel like a rock in his stomach. Dib _does _have a habit to run on his own accord for his paranormal research, but to not answer right away or dial back was unlike him. It was Professor Membrane in the end who had to clear Dib's name when his people took him in for experimenting, but would they go so far as to kidnap him?

The _"user is out of range" _message was mocking his maternal feelings as did that young Dib vision. He was still a father, he wasn't the best father, but he was trying so hard to at least be decent.

I bet it hurts now letting your son rot while you turned his back on him as if he was a criminal on death row, you accidentally killed your wife to fulfill her desire for children and now when you have them, you could barely give that dying wish of hers, the dark voice in the back of his head whispered, his conscience was never one to pull back.

Professor Membrane hastily excused himself, but told his assistant to follow up on any updates regarding the shield; his child, his baby boy came first right now, with Dib not answering his calls, he had to search for him. He planned to search every little hidey-hole where Dib mostly searched for a paranormal, or his favorite places to go, just anything. Juxteen watched on smugly from the parking lot, seeing Professor Membrane's black car drive off, almost screeching the tires. He couldn't wait to see the look on Zimalyon's face when he returns from his errand to face the wrath of an angry and stressed father. Zimalyon could barely handle his own parents, now he would have to face the claws of Professor Membrane. Juxteen giggled in glee as he slowly pulled out a writhing smoking ball from his pocket.

"Fucking _A _finally," Juxteen breathed, "Now I won't have to be stuck as a brat anymore, I can look like the prophet...ooh, Zimmy Zim Zam is gonna be pissed. So _fucking pissed!" _Juxteen greedily ate the ball as it squirmed, black droplets landing on the parking lot asphalt as he tasted Professor Membrane's darkness. It tasted disgusting.

Gaz had to pick up Tak from Zim's base as the Irken was too stubborn to walk back to the household, and Gir had decided to latch onto Tak, making it harder to leave. Tak sat next to Gir in the back seat, while Gaz relaxed in the driver's seat, contemplating whether to just drive home or get something to stop Tak from glaring at her as if she was the one who left her at Zim's base. "Okay, princess," Gaz sighed, "Mind by explaining to me _why _you were at Zim's and not in my bedroom?"

"Purple master had mortal combat with master, and she lost and she kept bouncing me against the wall, and it was like a funky roller coaster and it was like _weeeeeee! _I see more colors now and duckies! The duckies are shaped like master's head and they—"

"**Good Irk, how does Zim even tolerate you?!**" Tak shouted at Gir's motormouth.

Gaz ignored her yells, "You know how reckless you are?!" she scolded, "You've barely healed, and you decided to go into a fight? Zim and you really are alike!" Tak crossed her arms and fumed, hating to be compared to Zim, even if they shared the same brash and unpredictable behavior. It didn't help Gaz was taking sides with Zim's insane SIR unit, to Tak's point of view anyway.

"Not like you have any ideas," Tak grumbled, "The universe is poised to utterly break because of Zimalyon, while you kick back and play video games, or perhaps play your guitar. That's how it's been for you hasn't it, Gaz? Filthy. Human. _Bystanders syndrome._"

"If you're done insulting me, I want to ask what's your idea now, considering this end of the universe thing?"

Tak tapped her chin with her glove as her antenna bobbed as she contemplated, "Even though I left, I have to return to that dimension, to where that hideous castle resides—if I can make a volatile enough _bomb _it should buy me enough to make a counter attack."

"_CAN I HELP?!" _Gir yelled suddenly.

"You?!" Tak yelled back in return, and Gir nodded happily with his tongue sticking out like an eager dog, "How can a broken, insane SIR unit help me?!"

"I gots a code with pretty pictures!" Gir answered.

"**What?!**" Tak shouted, incredulous to the idea, "So you got some jpeg's and png's, _big deal!"_

"No, no, purple master! I gots an Ask-me code!"

Tak slapped him, "_USELESS!"_

Gaz had more patience than Tak, "Gir, don't you mean an ASCII code?" Gir gasped at the term and nodded, after the affirmation Gaz drove back home and parked. She followed after Tak to the garage where she pulled the brown tarp off of her old ship; she was in awe that it wasn't totaled. The ship had dents and Dib even haphazardly sprayed **Dib** on the side where her Irken symbol was supposed to be. Tak smiled bitterly. Ah, right, the human got it out of the mess it was in, repaired it and made it his own..Tak felt she was too late. She hated that an emotional human who was infatuated with her one damn enemy took her ship.

"Zim took my life away and Dib took my ship," Tak said, "How troublesome, but I'm taking it with me to that portal...that _other side, _where that castle is."

"You're not going at it alone," Gaz added firmly, "Besides, Gir is a SIR unit, right? We need to read that ASCII code."

"I got chicken scratches in mah head," Gir answered immediately. Tak let out a snarl of annoyance in response.

"Why do you want to follow me so badly? That dimension will tear you apart!"

"My brother is involved and I'm not going to let himself get hurt. I don't know how he's involved in all this, but if he's with Zim…" Tak scoffed, sibling intuition, it was admirable although she couldn't understand it very well. Tak didn't question more after that, she just picked Gir up and activated her old ship; Tak's ship let out a startled shrieking in surprise at seeing it's old master instead of the big headed brat.

"Wow, I didn't know ships could scream," Gaz said dryly.

"_Y-you...you're back?! I heard from that big headed numbskull that you were gone for good! How can you be back after being lost in the void of space?!" _The ship yelped frantically, it's front metallic talons trembling like hands in shock. Tak was still surprised it registered her as its original master, despite the change in hosts, it remembered.

"Yes, well...the void of drifting was a much more peaceful trip than what I endured after," Tak replied, gripping her palm into a fist, "Unfortunately I'm going to need your help to get there again but your body needs major adjusting and renovations; I promise your AI will be in intact, just see it as, um, what these bloody humans call...a glow up, or a makeover."

Gir instantly barged into the conversation, his noises of delight were giving Gaz a headache as a result from his squeals, "_Ooo! Ooo! Pick meeeeee! _I can help make pretty ship lady look even _preeeeettier _with _LIPSTICK!" _

"_I DON'T HAVE LIPS, YOU IDIOTIC, INCOMPREHENSIBLE, WALKING TOASTER!" _

"Tak, they're your species technology, you handle them," Gaz said in exasperation. The last thing she wanted was to engage in talk with Gir again like the last time, ugh, that robot had no sense of personal space. Tak looked frustrated, but reluctantly obliged, taking out a chord and connecting it within to her ship's interface; Tak's ship did not take kindly to the garbled data that came from Gir, releasing noises as if it was trying to read a defective coding like a dial up through a blender, before its body overheated and displayed a picture on the hologram monitor.

"_Brain…hurts...so much...nonsense...make data...icky…" _the ship wheezed.

"I think your ship is sick from Gir's data," Gaz pointed out. Tak didn't look fazed by her ship's reaction, as if this wasn't the first time it caught a computer sickness.

"Psh, she's fine, she's seen worse," Tak assured her, "Hmm...how odd...this isn't just ordinary ASCII code, there's information inside of it and it's coming in multiple layers. The computer, well, _normal computers _can only see so much. There's so much bytes inside containing information, it's powerful as well, it might cause a system override—good thing my ship is fitted with defenses against…"

"Just explain what's on the ASCII instead of making monologues," Gaz walked over and looked at each layer she could see from the human eye, "What're these...long symbols?"

"Irksa, ancient Irken, it's a dead language but I can only translate half of it; it says here, 'We are waiting' and these symbols here stand for 'blood party'...and these numbers here...are coordinates to the sky castle. Ship, download these coordinates, pronto, while I make bombs to _annihilate it." _

"_Get this awful troglodyte outta my head first!" _The ship yelled, "_Quickly! Before it downloads more sandwich maker apps and dancing gerbil simulators!"_

Zim felt himself sleeping, it was dark as if he was enveloped by heavy blankets, till he noticed he could see through the darkness an aging platform sat underneath an old ancient oil lamp. Zim felt through the darkness as he almost flailed, and stepped on stone steps that lead to the platform. It smelled of burning soil, and fire, and Zim could see from a smoky white wisp of Dib resting on the bed. Zim looked around, now affirmed that this was Zimalyon's little headspace. It was dream-like and Zim noticed gravity did not follow either, he kicked a stone and it just instantly floated in the air. Zim glanced around the dreamscape, realizing shelves upon shelves of scrolls. Zim groaned, no wonder Zimalyon was so yappy, but this was _his _mind in the end. Zim found a long leftover candle holder and started slamming it as hard as he could against the walls before it haphazardly dropped the scrolls after one good whack. He raised an eyebrow and threw the candle holder aside, picking up a scroll that had his name written on it by an elegant brush in Irken. He hesitantly unrolled it and nearly dropped the scroll out of shock.

Zimalyon wasn't used to Zim's body for this amount of time, "borrowing" it for battles was one thing, but Zimalyon felt old itches to smoke a pipe and aching to drink from a chalice. If they were more together, such needs would stop nagging, but they were still separate and fighting for control. Zimalyon tried relaxing on the bed only to feel his body go flying on its own and hit against the wall. Aw, not again. Zim must've found a way to control his body in retaliation for the rude body hijacking.

_HEY! YOU! KNIGHT GUY! Explain this scroll thingy to ZIM before I decide to make you...uh...put your head in a fridge while the Dib watches! This'll be fun! _

"What scroll are you speaking of?!" Zimalyon hissed.

_The one with my NAME on IT! _

Zimalyon felt his left hand place the bin on top of his head, rolled up papers and receipts scattered, "Must you?" he growled in annoyance, "We're still the same, all you're doing is hurting your own body...just explain to me what was inside of it, instead of throwing me about like a rag doll; besides, Tallest Komb has agreed to give us men to help fight Kastron. So, no need for that."

_It...it details the things I've done as different Irkens in the past, different ranks and jobs that have roots within the old days of Irk. Is it true, an Irken female was made to...give birth so we can be one again? All these failures and death rates, yet, we're useful in war. Was this supposed to be my purpose too, when I was born as a smeet? _

Zimalyon politely fixed the bin and sat down on the bed again, playing with his hands upon each other, letting them intertwine before speaking, "Yes, that's all we were meant to be, and mortals and our family found it beneficial. Does it anger you?" Zim didn't speak at first, "Zim?"

_No...no, I'm just disappointed. I was expecting to be an all great hero to my planet, yet, I'm just a weapon, a _tool!

Zimalyon stood up, "Zim, before we're going to Kastron. We need to get one last thing."

_And that would be?_

"My spear."


End file.
